Part of the Pack
by MissCullentriss
Summary: Jacob's POV. After Jacob recovers from a lengthy depression, he finally decides to rejoin his brothers of the pack. What kind of trouble will they get into? Read and Review please!
1. The Pack

**Chapter One:**

**Jacob's POV**

"Jake?" Billy called to me from the kitchen. I grunted into the arm of the couch that I was sprawled upon. There was nothing on the TV so I was just staring at it unseeingly. It was only an attempt to distract me. It was sometimes a blessing to finally get her off of my mind. Woops…There I go again. I really needed to get a life. I heard the squeaking of Billy's wheelchair in the kitchen as he came around the corner.

"Hungry?" He tried to hide his worry. I hadn't eaten much lately. Once again, I grunted, not looking up from the TV. "Ah, come on, Jacob. I worked hard at this one. Come and try it."

Reluctantly, I got up from the couch. The wooden frame beneath the cushions sighed in relief once my weight was lifted off of it. Did Billy have to keep bothering me? Couldn't he just let me wallow in my own self pity? I moved into the kitchen silently as Billy dropped a plate of pasta in front of an empty seat. Plopping down in the wobbly chair, I gripped a fork and picked through the meal. My father watched me from his spot at the table.

"You know, Quil and Embry came by again this morning. You can't keep avoiding them," he said. I didn't reply. My mouth was dry. I doubt a sound would even escape it if I had tried. Billy slurped up some noodles noisily.

"And Seth and Leah were asking about you when I was over to Sue's last night. You're friends are really worried about you," he said in between mouthfuls. I grimaced, trying to drown out his words.

"Jake? I know you liked her, son, but you can't get so--"

"Thanks, Dad, but I've heard enough," I remarked roughly. My voice was hoarse and my hands were shaking. Didn't he give a damn that this was bothering me? Why couldn't he just drop it? I avoided his gaze and looked around the room at the old refrigerator, the cupboards, the calendar….The Calendar. As I looked at it, I wondered the date.

"What day is it?"

"Saturday," Billy replied, sounding surprised in my sudden question.

"I mean what date? What is the date?"

"August 13th." Really? Weeks had gone by without my noticing. That was strange. It also surprised me that today was the day that _she_ was marrying _him._ A deep groan made it's way from somewhere within me. My hands were shaking beyond control now. I pushed myself away from the table, or the table away from me. Billy's plate fell to the floor with a clatter. His eyes swiveled to meet mine but, mentally, I wasn't there. I could only think of her, Bella. A cry of agony escaped my clenched mouth. The room was spinning and I was getting bigger. I knew what was happening for I had gone through this transformation countless times. My angry cries morphed into deep growls, vicious growls. Billy watched me, still shocked.

"Easy, son. Jacob, what's the matter?" I reached out with my clawed fist and lifted my chair, throwing it at the wall where it blew apart. Before Billy could recover from his shock, I was out the door running through the woods. My brothers voices rang in my head.

_Jacob, is that you?_ I heard Sam ask. I tried to block him out.

_Someone has gotten over his little lassie? _It was Paul. They were approaching me.

_Can we meet you, Jake?_ Sam asked. It didn't matter. They were coming anyway. I could hear them from miles away, running together.

_I see you_, Paul pointed out. I noticed two large beasts bounding toward me; one massive black and the other a silver streak. They came around to block my path. I skidded to a stop.

_What do you want? _I snarled, a rumble reverberating though my body. Sam stepped closer to me, eyeing me closely.

_Are you well?_

_As well as I'm going to get, _I remarked. Paul barked a laugh.

_Nice. So you've decided to join us again?_ He was still chuckling, gleeful of what he thought was my decision. I didn't respond.

_Quil and Embry are coming, _Sam noticed, gazing off somewhere to my left. I shuttered. I hadn't planned on spending the afternoon with the entire pack. I groaned in my mind before morphing back into my human form. Sam and Paul mimicked my action just as Quil and Embry reached me side. They changed too, both staring at me.

Everyone was silent for a minute. I avoided everyone's eyes, wishing for more alone time. To be honest, more alone time was the complete opposite of what I needed. I'd spent weeks locked up in my room alone apart from Billy constantly trying to get me to talk or eat. My pack brothers exchanged glances before eyeing me closely.

"Jacob?" Embry asked quietly. My head remained low, avoiding their gazes. "Is everything alright?"

No, nothing was alright. Bella had chosen that filthy, disgusting bloodsucker over me and they were marrying today. Nothing was alright! Sam seemed to notice my expression.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" he asked. I was suddenly angry.

"No, Sam, there isn't anything you can help me with! None of you can. It's done," I growled, my hands shaking. I crossed my arms tightly in an effort to calm the spasms. They were all silent for a few seconds. The silence made me feel strange.

"Where are you running to?" Paul muttered, his eyes full of curiosity.

"I was…Nowhere. I don't know where I was running to." The five of us were standing in a small clearing, stark naked. If someone were to see us, what would they think? We would hear someone approaching anyway. Besides, this was normal for us. We hardly ever noticed the difference. Sam raised his brow.

"Jacob?"

"What? I don't know where I was running _to_. I was running _from_ Billy, alright? I'm tired of being cooped up alone with him all day," I said. They all stared at me, incredulous.

"That was your doing, mate," Quil pointed out. I glared at him for a second or two. No, it was the bloodsucker's doing. My slit-like gaze shifted from him to Embry, to Sam, to Paul. None of them were there to hurt me. It was obvious that they wanted their brother back. It made me feel guilty for acting so angry towards them. Another pair of wolves were approaching.

"Seth…Leah…" Sam said as they morphed into their human forms. Leah, still shy about her nudity, had a clothe wrapped around her. Quil and Embry exchanged glances before rolling their eyes.

"Listen, guys," I started as the Clearwater siblings closed the circle, staring at me like everyone else. I shook my head. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have avoided everyone like that. It's just…Ah…" I searched for words. Quil slapped a hand on my shoulder.

"We got the message, bro," he said and for the first time in I don't know how long, I smiled. Six faces grinned back at me. I was home.

"Welcome back, Jake," Sam laughed, rustling my hair. I dodged him.

"Now, can we go running?" Leah asked, her eyes pleading. Ever since the fight with the newborns, Leah felt the need to show what she was capable of. She still felt guilty for my injuries, despite the fact that I was perfectly healed. I had heard it in her head a couple times when she wasn't preoccupied with Sam.

Our bodies shifted into our wolf forms simultaneously. I noticed Leah tie the towel around her waist, careful not to shred it to pieces with her razor sharp claws. She was always the one to hold us up but always the one most eager to hunt. Sam bounded into the trees, with the others close on his tail. I hesitated for a split second. Thoughts of Bella and her wedding ran through my mind. She was probably walking up the isle right now. I wondered what she would do if I took the bloodsucker up on his offer and showed up. Would it crash the wedding? I shrugged, letting the idea slip from my mind and dived into the thick forest behind my brothers. Where we were headed, I wasn't sure.

**Review Please!! I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can! Thanks**.


	2. The Wedding

**Chapter two**

**Jacob POV**

We ran for several minutes, nobody thinking anything significant. Quil had Claire, as usual, on his mind. Sam was focusing on Emily, Leah was avoiding Sam's thoughts, Embry was dreaming of food, and Paul was hoping to find some vampire to hunt. Seth thought only of the right now, the trees we passed, the dirt, the bushes. I was vaguely aware of the leather strap on my calf that held a pair of old jeans securely to me leg. I wore this more out of habit than actual purpose. I hadn't morphed in weeks. We were nearing the borders of La Push. Sam slowed slightly, pulling back. The entire pack stopped, all but me. I continued at full speed through the forest. As usual, it was Quil and Embry who followed me, my wingmen. Sam, Leah, Seth and Paul hung back, knowing exactly where I was headed. I didn't pause to hear what he was telling me.

_Jake, are you headed where I think you're headed? _Quil asked, bounding at my side, his thick fur rippling in the wind. I pumped more fuel into my legs, racing towards my destination. In less than three minutes, I was skidding to a halt about three feet outside to Cullen territory. Embry bashed into me from behind, knocking me forward onto their land.

_Quiet,_ I ordered. We were still in the trees, a few feet from the mouth of the Cullen's backyard. I crouched low to get a better view of what was going on. There were hundreds of people seated in chairs facing the river. My eyes raked over the crowd, searching for her. On the rocky banks, there was an archway decorated elaborately. The entire place was overdone. It was most likely a result of the little leech, the one Bella was fond of. That Alice Cullen. I could remember Bella complaining about her tendencies to overdo parties and such. There wasn't a place in sight that wasn't decorated with white ribbons and glitter.

Finally, I saw her. She was walking with Charlie, her father, up the isle. He held her close as she moved across the narrow walkway. The bloodsucker, Edward, stood at the archway, awaiting her approach. The filthy leech didn't know how lucky he had it. I would gladly murder him for ever leaving Bella. _I_ would never hurt her the way he did. But I knew that she couldn't live without him. Not even I was good enough to heal the pain he'd put in her when he'd left. It was a hopeless cause. I knew it was over between us yet there I stood, crouching under an evergreen to better my view.

_Let's get out of here, Jake_, Quil thought, nudging me with his furry shoulder. As if I had screamed his name, Edward stiffened before turning to look in my direction. I let out a low chuckle at his surprised expression. He hadn't expected to see me here. I wondered if he would ever mention it to Bella. Edward stared in my direction, worry in his eyes, before turning back to his soon to be bride. I saw her expression change as well. She was suddenly curious, nervous. She looked towards the woods in which I hid. I sunk lower in my crouch. Despite the fact that I hated what she was doing, I didn't want to ruin her day. She didn't want me--I wanted her. The best I could do for her was to let her be happy.

She had made it to the alter and was still watching the woods. Edward got her attention, whispering something in her ear. She smiled at him, lost in her own desires. I moaned slightly, causing Quil and Embry to exchange glances. Bella and the leech said their vows before they kissed. I cringed. My Bella pressed her soft lips against the filthy bloodsucker's. It was disgusting. The yard erupted into cheers. Yes, everyone was happy for them. Of course, they should. I was trying not to wine about it but I had only ever seen Bella in my future and NOT the leech or his nutty family. The crowd surrounded the newly wedded couple, crying out their congratulations. I watched Edward excuse himself from the bunch and start in my direction. I took a step back. He was soon flanked by the other two of his "brothers", the blond and the big guy. Bella was too submerged in blissfulness to even notice her husband's absence.

I transformed back into my human form, quickly pulling on my pants that I'd had strapped to my leg and stepped into the clearing. Embry and Quil did the same, standing on either side of me. The bloodsuckers closed the gap between us. Edward, as usual, looked flawless. They all did. It was sickening how inhuman they appeared. How could anyone believe he was what he pretended to be? I wrinkled my nose at their burning scent. The big guy, Emmett, grinned at us as if he were hoping for a fight. I glared at him as Edward glanced at his brother.

"No, Emmett. They are not here to engage in combat," he said quietly. There was a second or two of silence between the two of us as we simply gazed at each other.

"You know, you could have sat in the benches rather than hide in the woods."

"She wouldn't like me here," I pointed out. He glanced back at the party where we could see his wife laughing with her friends from school. She only had a few days before he would change her. It sickened me. The leech knew exactly what I was thinking, of course. He cleared his throat.

"It is Bella's choice to become one of us. I'm sorry that it will be this way but, Jacob, she is my wife now. If I could become human for her, I would…but I can't," he said, his smooth voice irritating me. I grumbled.

"Save me the sop stories. I have a favor to ask."

"Ask away." His politeness always bugged me. I knew he hated me. Why did he have to be so modest when it came to having a conversation with me? Perhaps it was something to do with his age. How old was he again? I pressed forward.

"I was just hoping that…After it happens….Can I see her? Just to see what happens to her?" My voice shook. The blond guy moved forward and I suddenly felt a rush of calmness as Edward prepared to make his answer.

"I'm not sure that that is a good idea. Your pack doesn't approve of our kind and I cannot risk an attack. Besides…I'm not quite sure how she will turn out either. She might not even want to see _me_." If it weren't for the stupid blond leech, I would have been in an uproar. It was annoying…and calming. I hated it…and I liked it.

"We would never attack the innocent," I rumbled. Edward turned to glance back at his wife again. She was now looking in our direction, taking a step towards us. I sank backwards into the trees quickly, my wingmen Embry and Quil doing the same. "I _will _find a way to see her, whether she knows I'm there or not. Until then, Leech."

We turned and ran into the forest before Bella could make it to us. I caught a glimpse of her worried face before I was swallowed by the evergreens. As soon as I was out of the yard, my anger and annoyance rushed back through my head. I was yelling in my thoughts, cursing long strings of profanities all the way back to La Push. Quil and Embry remained quiet the entire trip, refusing to get in my way. I was ravenous. I could have attacked anyone. I was not myself. This wasn't me. I paused just outside the reservation boundaries, taking a few deep breathes. Embry was at me side.

_You need to forget about her, mate. She belongs to him now,_ he thought. This was true. I did need to forget about her but it was so hard. She was a big part of my life and it wasn't easy to just throw it all away. They heard my thoughts.

_We'll figure it out,_ Quil assured me before bounding into La Push. We followed immediately, headed to wherever Sam was waiting. I wondered what he would say to me when I got there. He probably thought me incredibly childish but I didn't care. I knew I shouldn't have gone to the wedding but I wanted to see her once more before she was bitten. The idea sent a chill through my spine. Bella didn't know what she was doing to herself…

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	3. Imprint

**Chapter Three**

**Jacob POV**

Quil led the way back to Sam and Emily's place. He didn't pause as we made it onto their property, morphing into human form and pulling on his jeans. I mimicked his action before the three of us walked up the back porch steps and into the house. The inside was somewhat different from what I remembered it. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Emily stood in the kitchen, preparing a large meal for Sam and the rest of us. She smiled at me as I entered but I avoided her gaze as with everyone else's. Everyone was sitting around the house. I noticed, for the first time, Sam had a gold band around his third finger. What was that? I turned to see that Emily shared the same ring on the same finger of her small hand. Were they married now?

"The two of you married?" I asked, sitting in one of the many chairs at the small table. Sam smiled tightly.

"You missed it. You were supposed to be my best man," he said. That stung a little. How pathetic of me. I'd been so absorbed in my own self pity that I'd let all my closest friends down, my brothers down. I gazed around the room in apology.

"Dinner is served," Emily said, placing a hand on my shoulder as she placed the final of dozens of dishes onto the table. She gazed at me like a mother would see a son. I let my eyes swivel to meet her husband's. He was smiling still, wider now. I returned the gesture. It suddenly felt as if nothing had changed. All my brothers dived in, devouring anything in sight. I then realized how hungry I was. When was the last time I'd eaten a descent meal? Filling my plate with anything in reach, I joined in on the festivities. They all seemed more than happy to have me back in the pack. Once part of the pack--Always part of the pack. It was a comforting thought.

The sun was setting in the sky by the time I decided to go home to Billy. I was sure he was worrying about me. My spirits were surprisingly high as I ducked out of Sam's front door. The cool evening air felt good on my too hot skin. Once out of the sight of any on-lookers, I stripped my jeans, tied them to my calf and ran through the woods, shifting in shape first. I could hear the thoughts of Quil, Embry, Paul, Seth, and Leah as well as they each made their way home, too. This felt normal. It was strange how easy it was to slip back into my old self. I wondered what else I had missed.

Billy was extremely understanding about the entire event. He was just excited to hear that I was back to my normal self. All he had wanted was to see me smile and now I was laughing. Despite the large meal I'd eaten at the Uley's, I dug through the fridge looking for something more to devour. Billy watched from the doorway, a smile on his aged face. My depressed phase was over and it felt great. I just hoped that I hadn't missed too many important things. Sam and Emily's wedding was one thing but I couldn't have imagined missing anything else. It was about time I got over myself and thought of someone else. For the first time in months, I got a full night's sleep.

For the next couple of days I spent most of my time with the pack, stalking whatever lurked in the La Push forests. Sam had had some suspicions of deaths occurring in the mountains again but until we were sure, he wasn't going to advance out of our territory. Paul, on the other hand, thought we should track down the killer before the deaths got too serious. Sam was extremely calm about the whole situation. We decided to approach Chief Swan before taking the matters into our own hands.

It was Friday afternoon and the pack and I had just returned from a long run through La Push. We were hoping to get some answers out of Charlie. He liked me, I knew that, so it was comparatively possible that I would get what I wanted. He was walking out of the police station to his car when I approached him with Sam at my side. Sam had ordered the rest of the pack to continue their search through La Push. That was fine with me. It made more sense to have just the two of us cornering Charlie, rather than a little under a dozen of us. When Charlie saw me, a wide smile spread across his face, which I returned politely. He paused at his car, his keys in his hand.

"Hey, Jake. What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in suspicion. Sam and I closed the gap between us, leaning against the cruiser.

"We were hoping you could answer some questions we were curious about, Charlie," Sam said. I grinned innocently.

"What about?" He was still suspicious. He probably thought I was here about Bella. Well, then he was in for a shock. Bella wasn't even on my mind at that time.

"Rumors are spreading through La Push about murders in the mountains. Do you know anything about that? You know how rumors can get out of hand," I said. He laughed, suddenly, relieved but quickly cut it off, as if remembering that this was a serious matter. I furrowed my brow in curiosity.

"Well, we've been getting calls saying that people have come up missing. There hasn't been any blood left behind to suspect any injuries but it is just strange. It appears to be linked. There is just so many people going missing at once and all from the same place. I'm starting to wonder whether I should mark the mountains as restricted territory until we get more information on the matter," he told us, jingling his keys in his hand absentmindedly. I nodded my head.

"So, there hasn't been any murders?" Sam asked.

"None that we know of."

"Alright, thanks, Charlie," I said, stepping away from the cruiser, shaking his hand. He gripped it firmly, a smile on his face.

"Are you doing alright, Jake? I haven't seen you much." I grinned widely.

"I'm better than alright. Thanks again," I said, pulling away from him. He nodded, gave a quick wave, and climbed into the cruiser. With Sam at my side, we started away, not glancing back in Charlie's direction. The sun was high in the sky as we walked quickly down the sidewalk towards La Push.

"What are you thinking, Sam?"

"There aren't any murders. So we don't have to involve ourselves just yet," he replied.

"Then we're waiting for someone to die? You want someone to die?"

"No. I'm just saying that this could all be just some big misunderstanding. We have to wait to find out how serious this is, Jacob." We stared at each other for a long minute before continuing our pace.

"Okay then. It's your call." We were walking behind a pair of girls who were speaking quietly. One was a tall blond, her skin so pale she might have been one of those leeches I hated so much. The other, on the other hand, had an even, tanned complexion. Her rich mahogany hair hung halfway down her back in thick waves. As she walked, I caught a whiff of her flowery scented shampoo. I looked away from her, focusing on the buildings that we passed. Sam didn't notice anything about the girls in front of us. He probably had Emily on his mind. We continued to walk.

"Shoot," the dark haired girl exclaimed, pausing just as I noticed a shiny silver speck lying on the sidewalk. I bent to pick it up. "I've lost my earring. They were a gift from my mother." She had the voice of an angel, light and sweet at the same time. She turned around to search for it and nearly ran into me.

"Oh," was all I said, holding out the silver piece. She stared at me. What happened next was the most amazing feeling I'd ever felt--and also the worst. It felt as if my heart was being electrically shocked. The sting started deep within my chest before surging throughout my entire body. Nothing on earth could have felt this painful and yet, it was glorious. I couldn't breathe, my heartbeat sped too fast, as if I'd ran for hours on end. My finger tips tingled and my toes ached. I wanted to laugh, to cry, to sing, to dance but all I could do was stare, wide-eyed at this beautiful girl, my fist clutching my chest tightly. Sam watched me, stunned. What was happening?

And then I felt it. The need to be near her. The need to have her there beside me or even in my arms. I wanted to make her happy. For this girl, I would give the world, and I didn't even know her name. For this girl, I would endure the fiery pits of hell just to see her smile. She was all that mattered to me, now. I didn't care if I had to spend an eternity proving it to her, but I had to make sure this girl realized that she _was_ the world. There was nothing better than her on the entire planet. If anything were to happen to her, surely the earth would sink into darkness and we would be forever in night. I needed her. I needed her more than anything I'd ever considered necessary. She was my world and I didn't even know her. I'd never met her…but how I loved her already. Sam nudged me but I hardly noticed him standing there. I grinned at the breathtaking beauty before me.

"You…You dropped this," I stuttered, causing her to smile at her friend who eyed me strangely. The angel reached out her delicate hand for me to drop the earring into it. I was careful not to let our skin touch. What would she think after feeling my too hot skin? She smiled at me now, causing my heart to melt. My knees wobbled beneath me.

"Thank you," she said, her angelic voice sending chills of excitement down my spine.

"I'm Jacob," I told her. Her smile widened, revealing a row of straight, white teeth. Her friend crossed her arms, watching the two of us. Sam was laughing now, more to himself than anyone.

"Cady. This is my friend, Natalie."

"It's nice to meet you both," I said, jabbing a thumb in Sam's direction. "This is Sam. He's kind of my brother." She let out a little laugh that put butterflies in my stomach. How spectacular, she was.

"I guess, I'll see you around Jacob," she breathed shyly before turning and walking away with her friend at her side. The blond glanced at me once more before submerging herself in conversation with my angel. I took a step towards her again but Sam gripped my forearm. He stared at me.

"What the hell was that?" I asked breathlessly, watching her leave. I felt a strange longing to run after her, to keep her with me. I didn't want her anywhere else but in my arms, in my protection. I took another step but Sam held me back, once again.

"I believe you've just experienced imprinting."


	4. GoodBye

**Chapter Four**

**Jacob POV**

The next week went by exceptionally slow. The news of my imprinting had spread throughout the entire pack. No matter where I went, I could hear conversations being conversed or thought. It was beyond irritating. Not to mention, Leah resented the whole imprinting ordeal anyway so, on more than one occasion, I found her glaring at me from across the room. None of this mattered, though. I couldn't get _her_ off of my mind. Cady…

She had been playing a star role in my dreams at night. I wanted to go to her, to express my feelings, to hold her, to tell her everything. But what would she think? Surely she wouldn't believe I was a werewolf…And if she did, would she be afraid? I don't know what I would do if she feared me, the one person who would do anything to keep her safe. But I didn't get a chance to approach her anyway. She was nowhere to be seen. I searched all of La Push and even through Forks for my angel and yet, I did not find her.

I was moping around the house, waiting for Sam to call with some more information on the missing people in the mountains when the phone rang. I didn't rush to get it because I was sure of who it was. When I answered it, I was thoroughly surprised.

"Sam," I said into the receiver. There was a short pause.

"Jacob?"

"Bella?" She let out a soft laugh. Her voice was different somehow. It was as if she was nervous.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. "Is everything okay?" She was quiet for a long minute, keeping me in suspense. I repeated her name into the phone, hoping she would respond.

"He doesn't know I'm calling," she replied, her voice hesitant. A deep grumble reverberated through my chest. I walked to the window, gazing out into the afternoon shower.

"Why _are_ you calling me, Bella? Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon?"

"We've already gone. We had to make a pit stop for a couple of days on the way back…" Her breathe caught, as if remember something horrible. I furrowed my brow, my hand suddenly shaking. I could still hear her uneven breathing in the long pause before she spoke again.

"Can I meet you somewhere?"

"Sure. Do you want me to pick you up? We can stay at my place."

"No," she said abruptly, urgently. "No, I can't come to La Push, Jake. Can you meet me in the meadow? You know the one I'm referring to."

"When?"

"As soon as possible," she answered. A quick glance at the clock told me it was two in the afternoon.

"Okay, Bells. I'll head over now. Are you sure you don't need me to pick you up? It would be a lot quicker." She let out a low chuckle before responding.

"You don't have to worry about speed. I'll see you soon." The line went dead. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I was bolting out the door, morphing into my wolf form before I made it out of the yard and into the woods. I ran hard, dodging branches, bushes, tree stumps and diving over rivers and creeks. Leaves snagged at my fur, tearing hairs from my skin. I ignored the irritated flesh, sprinting fast as a bullet though the forest. I had made into the clearing before five minutes had passed. Changing back into human form, I pulled on my jeans before stepping out of the protection of the trees.

It was quiet except for the sounds of birds chirping, the babble of the nearby river, the rustle of the leaves in the trees. I stood in the middle of the perfectly circle meadow, gazing around. Surely I would hear her before I saw her. She was always so clumsy that I was sure I would hear at least a snapping twig to signal her approach. Who was I kidding? It would be hours before she made it to the clearing. I plopped down in the grass, stretching myself out so the cold rain would cool my skin. It was sometimes uncomfortable being so warm. I inhaled the smell of the flowers surrounding me when suddenly it hit me.

A thick wave of panic shot through me. Someone was nearing the meadow and it was not anyone familiar. I jumped to my feet, sniffing the air quickly. Realization hit me like a brick. _Vampire._ Their scent was always the same at first. The too sweet, freezing odor that burnt the inside of my nose. My breathing came quicker. Had this been a trap? Had the filthy bloodsucker forced his new wife to trick me? The creature, hidden in the trees came closer. Another wave of stink hit me in the face. I took a step back, debating whether to change right then and there or to wait. Against my will, I began to growl in warning. Whoever they were, they did not fear me. The creature continued to approach me until it was standing just outside the clearing. A mixture of fear and anger boiled through me. The coward…

And suddenly, it stepped out of the shadow of the forest. Surprise and horror struck me hard in the chest. It knocked the wind out of me. She took another graceful step towards me and stopped, keeping her distance. It was Bella…or it _had_ been Bella. She stood there, eyeing my reaction closely. I couldn't do anything but stare, shocked. Her already pale skin had somehow become whiter, making her hair and eyebrows seem darker. Her beautiful brown eyes were now a golden color, the same as Edward's. She no longer smelled of flowers and strawberries but of ice. The sweetness made my eyes water. She smiled, wrinkling her nose ever so gently once she got a whiff of my own scent. Her teeth were shining, glistening in the afternoon mist. They appeared sharper. I couldn't look away.

"Hi, Jake," she said, her voice smooth, sweet. Before I lost all train of thought, I quickly regained my posture, standing straight and trying not to breathe through my nose. My body was as stiff as a board. I was careful not to move. My instincts told me to pounce, to attack. I looked away. She took another step towards me, holding her breathe. Of course, she didn't need to breathe anymore. The idea disgusted me.

"Don't come closer," I ordered, holding out a shaking hand. She paused, her lovely face contorted in pain. I grimaced, leaning away from her. She appeared to be doing the same thing, her little nose still wrinkled. She furrowed her delicate brows.

"Do I disgust you, Jacob Black?"

"Yes," I replied without hesitation. "Do I disgust you, Bella Swan?" She laughed, sounding like wind chimes in the summer breeze.

"Yes." We stared at each other for another minute or two, neither taking a step to close the gap.

"You know, this is going against all that I know. It is taking all of my strength not to kill you right now."

"Oh, you couldn't kill me. I'm stronger than you think," she replied. "You want to try?" I knew she was being sarcastic but the idea, for some odd reason, sounded like a good idea. I shook my head, pushing the thought from my head. Those bright, golden eyes looked me over for a few seconds. God, she stunk badly.

"I just wanted to see you before we leave," she said, smiling slightly. I couldn't help but to glance at the thin silver band on her third finger. Her fingers twitched at my action. Quickly, I looked away.

"Well, here I am," I remarked, spreading my arms out wide. She leaned away again, my scent bothering her. It had never bothered her before. Just as she had never smelled this way before, except for when she'd been around her precious Edward for too long. I grumbled resentfully.

"Well, here you are…And I'm glad, too. I can't imagine spending my life--my existence without seeing your face one last time. I came, also, to say goodbye."

"I would hug you, but…I'd better not. See you around, Bells," I said, unable to express any sign of longing. It was not Bella who I loved anymore. It was Cady. It was Cady who I needed, Cady who I would hug and love. Bella gazed at me for a second or two, a peculiar expression on her face.

"Who is Cady?"

"Hmm?" What the hell? How did she know her name? "What did you just ask me?"

"Cady. Who is she?" Her eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration. "Ah…You've imprinted on her. That _is_ exciting."

"What are you doing? What, can you read peoples minds, too? Like your blood--Like your husband?" She had stiffened at the leech reference. Perhaps it was because she was now one of them. She relaxed slightly.

"Among other things, yes. Not nearly as much as he can. You see, when he bit--When he changed me, some of his powers were transferred into me. It runs in my blood, you see. I can only hear the thoughts of those standing near me. I know what you are thinking, Jacob Black. You want to fight me. That hurts, you know. Yet, at the same time, I feel the same desire. I guess I can see why you and Edward were always at each other's throats." She eyed me closely, crossing her arms gently.

_Yeah, right_, I thought. _Prove it._ She rolled her eyes, shifting her weight as she leaned on her left leg.

"Let's see. Okay right now you are thinking about Billy….about Sam…Don't be so hard on yourself. I didn't make it to the wedding, either. Although I doubt they would want to see me there anyway. Now you are thinking bad things about me. And, if you really want to see…" She walked to the edge of the clearing, gripped a boulder with her two small hands and lifted it effortlessly. She then proceeded to toss it in the air, catching it with ease. After dropping it back in it's place, shaking the ground, she returned to her spot.

"See? Tougher than you think. I'd win in a fight." Where did she get all this self confidence from? What happened to her shyness? Her clumsiness? Her innocence. "Kind of reminds me of how I felt about you when you first changed, what you're thinking. I wondered the same things. It was sad. Jacob, I…" She paused, gazing through the trees. Now that I was paying attention, I heard it too. The pack was approaching at neck breaking speed. I backed away from her quickly.

"You might want to run. I'll hold them off as best as I can. Bye, Bella."

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Jake," she moaned, turning on the spot and disappearing through the forest in lightening speed. I morphed, not hesitating to remove my jeans. They tore to shreds in the process. As soon as I was in my wolf form, I could hear Sam yelling in my head.

_Jake! Quick, we can still catch the leech_, he yelled. I ran to join them.

_No, let her go,_ I pleaded, running almost headlong into him and the pack. Paul was growling viciously.

_And let the bloodsucker get away? You have got to be kidding me,_ he roared. I ran along with them, trying to make them see reason.

_It was one of the Cullen's. They didn't mean any harm._ Same listened to my thoughts, the scene of Bella and I in the clearing. He groaned, a deep growl sounding in the air.

_They changed her,_ I thought, slowing down as the rest of the pack did the same. _Let her go._ Sam eyed me, his black wolf eyes burning with irritation. I met his gaze, pleading with him.

_If that is what you think is right, Jake._ He then turned and bolted in the opposite direction. Both Leah and Paul groaned in unison before running after him. I joined them, sprinting through the woods along with my brothers and sister.

Goodbye, Cullens. Goodbye, Bella. And the idea didn't bother me anymore because I had something to look forward to. Cady. I had to find her. I would find her, that was certain. I wouldn't give up until I found her.

**Read/Review. Come on guys!! Tell me what you think? Am I doing alright?**


	5. Camaraderie

**Chapter Five**

**Jacob POV**

This was a first. I had actually let Quil and Embry talk me into going down to the beach for an end of summer bash. I don't know why I finally agreed. There would be nothing…or no one there that really mattered. It had seemed important to them, however. They were being all "hush hush" about the entire situation. Maybe they'd surprise me with a new motorcycle considering my old one had been destroyed in the "crash". Jared and Paul had had a blast pounding my bike to pieces. Stupid Charlie. Why did he have to be there?

I pulled on a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt before meeting the guys in the cramped living room. Sam was there with Emily as well as Paul, Jared, Kim, Sam, Quil, Embry, and Leah. Leah stood with her thin arms crossed, glaring at me from across the room. She stood the farthest away from me. I avoided her penetrating gaze and grinned, halfheartedly, at Quil. Why this was so important to them, I would never know. Billy had already gone down to the beach with Quil's grandfather and Sue Clearwater. I followed everyone out, ducking through the small door as I exited. It wasn't even nice outside. It never was anyway, but why have a beach bash in cruddy weather? I'd much rather have gone to the bowling alley or the movies.

I grumbled the entire way, causing Quil and Embry to chuckle between themselves. I groaned, seriously wishing I were in my wolf form. That way, I could hear what was going on inside their heads. Sam walked ahead of us, an arm wrapped around Emily affectionately. It made me think of Cady. How I wanted to hold her that way. It was becoming my new obsession to find her and to be perfectly honest, I believe it was irritating the guys a lot. Paul had had enough and complained every time I thought of her. He thought I should give it up, that I should move on. Neither Sam, Jared, nor Quil ever said anything though they each knew perfectly well the ties that imprinting created. It was insane.

We were nearing the beach. The sound of the ocean waves could be heard as we made our way around the trees. There were tents up to shield everyone from the soon-to-be-coming rain. I could hear music along with the chatter of the people who were already there. As the nine of us made our way down the beach towards the party, everyone seemed to turn and watch us. I could only imagine what would be running through their heads. What would you think if you saw six giants march through the deep sand with three girls squished in the middle? Despite being a werewolf, Leah was still small. Her strong muscles were diminutive. Still, she was almost as tall as I was and possibly just as strong. She never shifted her facial expression from the angry one she always held. Kim and Emily appeared to be tiny in comparison to what stalked around them. Quil walked with his chest puffed out beside Embry who was…flexing? What the hell? I grimaced, looking straight ahead to fight from smacking the two of them.

And then I saw her. Actually, I felt her before my eyes could pick her out of the crowd. My heart did a flip in my chest, quickening my breathe into a dog-like pant. I had to work to keep my mouth shut. What was I? A dog? Okay, forget I asked that. Cady stood with a few friends, watching the entire pack approach. Her wide, inquisitive eyes scanned over Paul, to Jared, to Kim, to Emily. She paused on Sam, immediately recognizing him and took a step closer, craning her neck to see around him. And then her eyes stopped on me, a small smile on her perfect lips. I grinned, hoping I didn't look like a fool.

The pack broke apart as we reached the crowd. People turned back to their conversations, laughing, talking, dancing. Sam and Emily were the first of the wolfs to make it to the dance floor, followed by Jared and Kim. Quil went on a search for his little Claire. I ignored Leah as she disappeared into the crowd after spotting Cady. She had looked livid. To my great annoyance, Embry remained at my side.

Cady and her friends still eyed me. However, she gazed at me with pleasure. Two of her three companions appeared shocked, maybe even scared. I couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a surprise to see you here, Cady," I said, smiling widely. One of her friends giggled. It took me a second to recognize her. It was Natalie.

"You too, Jacob." My heart did another dance at the sound of my name. Almost instinctively, my hand reached up to cover my chest where my heart was but I quickly hid the gesture by running my fingers through my shaggy hair. Her sweet smile widened.

"So, what was that about? Are you part of some gang, some club?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied, laughing. Embry chuckled beside me. Had he not made a noise, I would have forgotten he was there. The three girls that stood behind Cady glanced at him but she never broke her gaze. It was hypnotizing.

"This is Embry…He's kind of my brother, too." She finally tore her eyes away from mine to look at my neighbor, smiling politely.

"Were all those boys your brothers?" She addressed the two of us.

"One was a sister," Embry replied. I couldn't help but notice Natalie blush when their eyes met. She seemed shy all of a sudden. Cady didn't notice. She had raised her delicate brows at the reply.

"That's a big family. Do you live together?"

"Technically, we're not 'real' brothers. We weren't born and raised in the same families. We just call ourselves that now after--well, it's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you."

"Another time, perhaps," Cady said lightly, her cerulean eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Her friends were watching us closely. They actually appeared to be leaning in so they could hear better. Only Natalie stood back, she was gazing at Embry.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked him, her pale face contorted in confusion. He shrugged his broad shoulders, a smile on his lips.

"It's possible. Dance with me," he said. The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm irresistible," he stated simply. I almost laughed. "Besides, I can do the thriller." He winked at me. Stupid werewolf. Natalie couldn't help but to smile and strode forward entwining her arm in his.

"Take me away, Zombie man"

"I wouldn't go that extreme. I mean, I may not be human but I'm not dead," They laughed and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. I had to watch to make sure Cady's friends hadn't taken Embry's "joke" seriously. The stupid idiot. The two girls stood back now, eyeing me every now and again with fascinated eyes. Cady smiled when I met her gaze once more.

"Let's get a drink or something," I offered. In response, she turned and led the way through the crowd. At least, she tried to. She had a hard time squeezing through the tight wad of people. Without thinking, I took her hand, pulling her around so that she was behind me and pushed through the crowd. It was easy for me, being so big. Sometimes, as if they felt the heat, they would subconsciously step away, not even looking up to see what was passing. When we reached the tables, I stopped, turning to look back at Cady. After I released her hand, she stared at it for a second, her forehead creased ever so gently. Oh crap. Did I burn her?

"What is it?" I asked, stepping away from her reluctantly. She raised her hand and touched it to her wind-chilled cheek. As her luminous eyes raised to meet mine, I half expected her to scream, to cry, to call for help. After all, a monster had just burnt her hand…probably.

"You're hot," she said.

"Well, thank you. I'm flattered." I laughed hesitantly.

"No, I mean your skin is hot," she replied. After seeing my fear struck face, she pressed forward, misinterpreting my expression. "Not that you aren't attractive. You are very handsome. I mean, I didn't mean you were ugly. I just…"

"You don't have to lie to me, Cady. I get it," I grumbled, my head down.

"Jacob, I really do think you're handsome. I hadn't meant to imply that you aren't physically attractive. I like your hair…And your eyes are pretty. Did you know you have a flawless skin tone?" She asked, worry etched deeply into her sweet face. I couldn't help but to laugh.

"You do know that I was kidding, right?"

"You were?"

"Of course. Do you really like my hair?" I asked, running my fingers through it roughly. A deep flush filled her face, causing me to laugh harder.

"Well, now I'm embarrassed."

"Don't be…And for the record, you have much prettier eyes than I do," I said, leaning closer as I said it. Her flush deepened, causing another flip of my heart. Despite the fact that I wanted to stare into her shockingly bright eyes forever and ever, I had to turn away to dig into the ice cold cooler for two Cokes. When I straightened back up, I saw she had found herself a seat at an empty picnic table. There were still traces of pink in her cheeks as she looked around curiously. I stared at her for a minute before she could notice. I was able to see how smooth her skin looked, how soft it looked. What would it feel like to touch? She had long dark eyelashes surrounding her eyes that needed no messy makeup to enhance. Her full lips were moist, sensual. I wanted to kiss them.

As I sat down, she turned to gaze at me, curiosity burning in those luminous orbs. I didn't have to wonder what she was thinking for long because she leaned forward onto her elbows and parted her perfect lips slowly.

"Tell me something, Jacob. What exactly _is_ this little gang, this little camaraderie of yours? And don't say I won't believe you or that it will bore me. I'm honestly curious," she said, eyeing me closely. I couldn't lie to her, I knew that. Not because the imprinting had deemed it impossible but because my heart, my soul wouldn't let me. But the idea of telling her the soul certainty of what I was frightened me. Surely it would scare her and I just couldn't imagine seeing her beautiful face contorted in fear at the sight of me. I only wanted to see her happy. She smiled gently, leaning a bit nearer to me. The closeness put butterflies in my stomach.

"Try me," she said. And I couldn't say no to her, not when she looked at me like that…

**Revviiieeewwwww!**


	6. Leech

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Jacob POV**_

Cady tilted her head to the side slightly, awaiting my response. I knew I had to tell her. It was unavoidable. Knowing what I had to do, I was on fire. I felt warmer than I usually felt (which is saying something considering my usual body temperature was far beyond average). My hands still clutched our sodas, shaking ever so gently. I really hoped she hadn't noticed. Her eyebrows came closer together as she waited for me to utter a sound. She didn't understand the difficulty I was having. My reverie came to an abrupt end when Jared and Paul threw themselves down beside me at the table. Cady appeared to be pleasantly surprised by their arrival. I tore my gaze from hers and turned to look at my brothers.

"Sam just spoke with Charlie," Jared said. He didn't seem to notice Cady's presence or, if he did, he didn't care. His forehead was creased with worry. My body stiffened.

"About what?" I didn't look across the table into my angel's curious face. Evasiveness was my only detour for the moment and I took it.

"The, uh…" He glanced at Cady momentarily before pressing on. "The disappearances in the mountains."

"Oh. What's going on, Jared?" I was starting to tense up, my hands shaking more the longer they postponed telling me the news. His eyes burned into mine, the pupils on fire.

"A family was killed," he growled, his teeth bared. Paul shook his head angrily. I glanced at Cady once more before responding.

"So, are we going to do something? He'd better do something," I said, looking around for Sam. Almost as if I had called his name, he appeared out of nowhere, Emily and Kim close behind him. When his eyes met mine, he turned abruptly and started in our direction. Sam's face expressed his obvious anger, his fury. Immediately, I jumped to my feet.

"Paul, find Quil and Embry. We have got to search the reservation for anything we can find. Trails, scents…" He glanced at Cady, her face conveying her confusion. Her eyes flicked from mine to Sam's and back quickly.

"Emily," Sam continued. "Take Kim and Cady back to the house. I don't want you outside right now, alright?" His wife nodded, her deformed face contorted in worry. "I'll be fine, my love. We'll return before nightfall, promise." He strode forward and kissed her gently on the lips. Without another word Emily strode forward, taking Cady's hand in hers.

"We must hurry," she said, pulling her to her feet and turning to find Kim. Cady's eyes were wide with sudden worry and confusion. She stared at me, unable to move even as Emily tried to pull her away.

"Jacob?" She whispered. I hated to see her beautiful face contorted in such a way. How I wanted to reach for her, to hold her, to let her know that everything would be alright. I pursed my lips slightly.

"Just go with Emily. I will explain everything later, you have my word."

"I'll hold you to that," she said as Emily continued to pull her away. I couldn't help but to laugh at her still mystified expression. Cady turned and ran with Sam's wife and Kim out of sight, her long hair flowing in the quickening wind. As she disappeared, Seth and Leah came running, Quil, Embry and Paul hot on their heels.

"What's going on?" they all seemed to be asking. Paul hung back, his forehead still creased.

"Let's get moving. I'll tell you on the way," Sam said, starting away. As soon as we stepped out of the protection of the tent, we were getting drenched with rain. It didn't bother me but I wondered if Cady would be warm enough on her journey to the Uley's place. The pack moved as one across the beach at an almost inhuman speed. Lucky for us, the partiers were to busy to notice us. Sam started to explain.

"Charlie Swan was talking with Billy about how he was relieved that Bella had gone away at the time she did," he said.

"What do you mean?" Paul grunted, his face dripping from the rain.

"Bella has left for college, I guess…or so he thinks," he added, glancing at me. "Anyway, he told Billy how a family was murdered in the hills. I couldn't help but to overhear so I jumped into the conversation.

"'They weren't from around here, the family, but all of them were killed,' Charlie was saying. He kept shaking his head as if the memory haunted him. I'm sure it would. There were four of them. A father, a mother, a son, and a little girl, no older than two--all dead."

"Horrible," Leah muttered. "Who do you think is behind it?"

"Dunno. But we're going to find out. Something tells me that this wasn't just some accident. All of them, torn to shreds."

"Do you think it was another bloodsucker? Like it was last time? The Cullens don't have any_ more_ enemies that we don't know about, do they?" Seth asked, his brows furrowed. I shook my head.

"We won't find out till we get there. What we need to do is phase, and quickly, before the rain washes all the scent away," I said, eyeing the woods. We quickened our already too fast pace and dove into the woods. I wasted no time in shedding my clothes, tossing my shirt behind me, kicking my shoes off of my feet and dropping my jeans. Everyone else did the same, tying their garments around themselves. Once stripped of all attire, we each dove forward, our bodies popping at the same time, reforming, adjusting. A grumble escaped my now razor sharp teeth as we ran. Sam was in the lead, his head down sniffing everything as he ran.

_Split up so we cover more ground. If anyone finds anything, call for help. Don't try to take anything on by yourself_, he thought, glancing at Leah who rolled her eyes. She never took him seriously. One day, she was going to get it and the whole pack wouldn't be there to save her.

We did as Sam instructed, each taking a different route. I ran fast, concentrating on what I had before me but still listening to what everyone else was thinking. Seth was at the stream, running along it, his eyes peeled for anything unordinary. I could see through his eyes as he ran. Sam had made it to where the campsite had been. He sniffed everything, the dirt, the trees, the dried blood. He found a trace of something familiar and yet unknown.

_This was definitely a vampire. The question is who? I am not familiar with this smell,_ he declared, ripping a piece of bark from a tree and carrying it in his mouth. I spun, ready to meet him but he told me to continue my search.

_Just in case_, he said, sprinting through the woods. I shifted my thoughts to the others. Quil, Paul, and Jared each ran through a different stretch of woods, sniffing anything they could get their noses near. Embry, I noticed, had a piece of fabric between his teeth. He had found something.

_I got a piece of a shirt or something. It's covered in human blood,_ he thought, bounding through the underbrush. Leah crept around the meadows, her eyes on the lookout for anything in particular.

We ran for hours, digging for anything that could hint at where the intruder had run to. Everyone was beginning to wonder whether we should just give up or not when suddenly, Paul was yelling in my head.

_Sam! Quick I found something!_ he cried. I looked through his eyes, seeing what he saw. He was in a small valley. The icy sweet smell burnt my nose as I watched. Paul gazed intently into one certain spot, his body in a deep crouch. I spun, hurrying in his direction. In the dark forest that surrounded the valley, someone was watching Paul. He growled, daring the creature to come closer. She did. It was a female, her long black hair dancing in the wind. Her bright red eyes blazed as she stared at Paul. She was unfamiliar to me. I'd never seen her before. She was thin, delicate looking. Her white face was in no way pretty, though it could have been if it weren't stuck in a scowl. She sneered at my brother, inching closer, her teeth bared. Paul took a step in her direction just as another creature entered the valley right behind him. A male, tall, broad, and strong-looking stood behind him. He was also unfamiliar, his white face was oval shaped with a square jaw. His thick eyebrows matched his magenta hair. The color was especially vibrant in comparison to his white skin. His eyes, like the other, were a vivid red. Paul paused, his head whipping around to keep an eye on both creatures. The male stepped closer, a smile forming on his thin, icy lips. Paul growled.

_Hurry up_, he thought desperately. Sure, Paul was tough. We all knew that. But we also knew that he was no match for two hungry bloodsuckers. I pumped more fuel into my legs, speeding through the woods. Quil was at my side in seconds, running along with me.

The male was closing in. He was within feet of my brother who stood, hunched over, ready to pounce. The vampire stared him down, not afraid at all. Paul's growls turned into the vicious snarls. His teeth were bared, spit dripping like acid from his lips. The male vampire took one final step, raised his right leg and swiftly kicked my brother in the rips, throwing him backwards about twenty feet. Paul hit a tree, busting the trunk in half, and fell to the ground with a sickening crunch. His roars could be heard from where I was running. We were nearing.

_Hold on,_ I head Sam order. The female lunged forward, grasping Paul by his furry bicep and swung him around, chucking him another forty feet in the opposite direction. Some more of Paul's bones crunched. I could see the clearing now. I was close. All at the same time, Sam, Quil, Seth, Jared, Leah, Embry and I jumped into the valley. Paul lay crumpled, broken on the other side of valley. He was snarling, roaring as a wolf but in my head I could hear his profanity. The two vampires turned to look at us, their ugly faces contorted in shock. Quicker than light, they bolted, disappearing into the woods. Sam darted forward, Leah at his heels along with Jared, and Seth.

_Get Paul back to my house,_ Sam ordered as he dove into the woods. I rushed over to Paul. His thick fur was matted in blood and sweat. I heaved him over my shoulders. He snarled a vicious scream in pain. Quil and Embry ran on either side of me, trying to calm my brother. This wasn't going to be easy. Paul was always the most difficult to settle down. He always seemed angrier than everyone else.

In minutes we were crossing onto Uley land. I paused, only to phase, quickly throwing on my jeans. Quil did the same, running ahead to open the doors to Sam's shed. Embry helped me heave our brother into the yard. He was still in wolf form, unable to relax enough to phase back. As we broke out of the forest and into Sam's secluded back yard, I saw Emily run out onto the back porch. Her face was twisted in worry. I'm sure she could have heard Paul's yelps from miles away. Kim appeared behind her, her funny face relaxing slightly as she realized it was not her Jared in harm's way. I grumbled slightly as Cady stepped outside, too. As soon as she saw what I was carrying, her sweet face contorted in fear. Emily didn't pause to usher her back inside. She hurried forward, helping Quil with the shed doors. Inside, she turned on a light switch, pulling a small cot from behind a table. I threw Paul onto the cot as gently as I could. It was not easy for he was writhing in agony. Embry tried to push Emily away, knowing what Sam would do if he saw his wife in such close proximity to such a being. Paul's snarls sounded dangerous.

"You need to calm down! Trust me," I yelled over his roars. "Phasing back will quicken the healing. I kind of know this!" He continued to howl, but I noticed his furry body suddenly still itself. I stood back, watching him try to relax. Quil went to him a pale of water and a towel in his hands. As I turned around, I saw Cady in the doorway, staring at the beast on the cot with terrified eyes. I rushed forward.

"You can't be in here! It's not safe," I told her, pushing her slightly so she would turn away. She couldn't tear her eyes from the wolf on the cot.

"Is that what killed the people in the mountains?" she whispered. I felt my body tense up and I moved forward, blocking Paul from her view.

"Go back in the house with Emily. I'll be inside in a minute." She finally looked at me, her bright eyes worried.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, eyeing my closely. I grinned.

"Go inside, Cady. I'll meet you in the kitchen five minutes," I replied, turning to close the shed door in her still shocked face. Quil had gotten Paul to lye still. The only thing that shook were his hands.

"Phase back, Paul," I ordered him. He nodded his head roughly, taking a giant breathe. Suddenly, his body began to shudder but not before he could howl and writhe in agony. I watched as his fur retreated back into his skin, his head warping back into a human shape. Once back in his human form, he lye there panting, sweating. I could see the bulges in his chest where the vampire had kicked him. He had a few broken ribs. One of his arms had snapped, too as well as his leg in three places.

"I've got to push your ribs back into place, Paul. But other than that, it'll all be over quite soon." He nodded again, unable to utter anything other than curse words or growls. Even in human form, Paul's snarls were intimidating. I reached forward with both of my hands and applied pressure on the bulging spot. With a snap, the bones shifted back into place. Paul cussed in pain. After moving away again, I watched my brother focus intently only on keeping himself calm.

"Damn leeches," he growled causing laughter to fill the small shed. Embry stood over Paul's legs, wrapping a brace around the entire limb. Quil wiped the blood away from some open gashes to clean the wounds. When Embry finished with the leg, he moved to do the same to Paul's arm. Meanwhile, Paul relaxed a bit. The healing process must have already begun. Emily was at the door again, knocking gently. I opened it a crack, making sure Cady was nowhere in sight. After finding she wasn't, I opened it wider. Emily held a fresh pair of clothes for Paul to wear as well as some Aspirin. I took them, handing them to Quil who was now without a job.

"How is he?"

"Better," I replied.

"What happened? Who?" Her scarred face inched closer to mine, curious.

"Bloodsuckers. Who else?"

"Ah. I knew it. Well, is there anything I can do?"

"Not really. I'm headed in, too. How's Cady?" I asked, stepping out of the cramped shed. She shrugged her shoulders. I closed the door behind me, glancing towards the woods. Had Sam found the vampires? Had they caught them and torn them to shreds? I strained my eyes to look for signs of smoke but I could see nothing.

Inside the house, Kim sat at the table with Cady. They each had a plate of food in front of them, both untouched. When she saw me, Kim jumped up, rushing to me.

"Where is Jared? Is everything alright? Damn it, Jacob Black, tell me!" She glared at me, her hands on her hips. I shook my head.

"I don't know, Kim. I came back after the leeches attacked Paul. The rest of the pack ran after them."

"How many were there?"

"Two. A male and female," I said, turning away from her. Cady sat at the table, watching my every move. She was visibly shaken, and looked on the verge of tears. I went to her, lowering myself into the chair Kim had left. Cady's eyes remained on me the entire time. She was worried, I could tell and more confused than she let on. She shook her head gently when I said nothing.

"Are…Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice cracking a little at the end.

"Not at all," I replied, reaching to take her hand. She inhaled sharply after feeling my hot skin but made no move to pull away. Her fingers entwined with mine eagerly.

"Will you _please_ explain to me what is going on? What are talking about? Leeches? The Pack? And what was that thing you brought into the shed? If it's so dangerous, why did you bring it here?" Her voice went up an octave as she rambled off her questions in hysteria.

"I will tell you everything, Cady. You just have to promise me something."

"Anything," she replied, her eyes pleading. It brought a smile to my lips.

"You have to promise not to scream…"


	7. Understanding

**Chapter Seven**

**Jacob POV**

Cady stared at me with wide eyes. Her breathing quickened as did her heartbeat. I felt her hands grip harder on mine. Though she tried to hide her nervousness, it was blatantly obvious.

"Okay," she breathed. I laughed hesitantly, getting to my feet. Emily watched from the living room as I helped Cady up, leading her to the back door. She didn't say anything but let us go willingly. There was nothing she could do to stop me. I had imprinted on Cady and, to me, that meant no secrets. None. Out in the brisky air, Cady buttoned her sweater, leaning closer to me to warm herself. It felt nice.

"Are we going in the shed?" She asked, eyeing the small cabin. I shook my head and pointed towards the woods.

"We're going in there," I told her. There was hesitation in her step as she reluctantly inched towards the trees. "I won't let anything hurt you, promise."

I smiled down at her, holding her tight. She seemed to relax a bit and we walked on. I made sure we were at least fifty feet into the woods before turning to speak to her. At my abrupt stop, she turned around and around, searching for something that she expected to be very obvious. When she found nothing, she looked at me. I smiled impishly, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Am I missing something?" she asked with a laugh. Shaking my head, I gestured for her to sit on a nearby boulder. She did. Suddenly, I felt my heartbeat quicken. My hands felt clammy. I wanted to turn and walk away and yet I wanted to close the gap between us. After plopping down on the rock, she gazed at me, the confusion still burning in her dazzling eyes. I took a deep breathe.

"Do you believe in superstitions, Cady?"

"I guess I do. I wouldn't walk under a latter, if that's what you mean," she said, shrugging. I laughed at that.

"No, that's not what I meant. Let's see. I guess I should be asking, do you believe in scary stories, scary movies? That kind of stuff."

"I don't know," she said but after reading my facial expression she continued. "I mean, sure I do." My smile faltered.

"Okay, then. Here goes," I started. Cady waited patiently but I could tell she wanted me to answer her questions as soon as possible. I turned from her, pacing back and forth, contemplating how I should lay the matter down. My pacing irritated her. Soon, she was at my side. She touched my bare shoulder gently, turning me to face her.

"I'm not human," I said simply. She began to laugh but after seeing my expression, the smile evaporated. Her brows came together.

"What do you mean? Sure you're human," she said, her voice quivering. I shook my head.

"No, I'm not. None of us are. I mean, Emily is...and Kim...but Sam, Paul, Embry, the rest of us...We're not." There was a moment of silence. I wasn't sure how to word the next part. Cady stared at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. She thought I was kidding, I'm sure. Instead of mocking me, however, she pressed on.

"If you're not human...What are you?"

"A werewolf."

"A werwolf? A werewolf," she repeated, her eyebrows raised. I gazed at her intently, showing her that I was dead serious. "Well, that...That's...So, the rest of the guys are...werewolves...too?"

"And Leah," I added with a smirk.

"Are you joking with me, Jacob Black?" she asked, her forehead creasing gently. Shaking my head roughly, I tried to make her see.

"Dead serious. Sam is the Alpha...I'm kind of the...the Beta," I said, choosing familiar words from an old conversation with someone else. "Second in command. We're just a pack of werewolves."

"Werewolves," she repeated, staring me straight in the eye.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Cady. I couldn't. Please hear me out. A while back there was this family here and they were...well, they were vampires, leeches. They--"

"Vampires? Jake, are you kidding me?"

"No, listen to me. Them being here set certain things into motion that nobody knew were still around. Sam was the first to become what we are, then Jared and Paul. Embry followed soon after...and then me. I'm telling the truth, Cady, I swear." She was still staring at me, confused. I shook my head. It was frustrating, beyond frustrating. I walked away from her, scratching the back of my head. We were both silent for a minute.

"Is that why you're so hot? Your skin?"

"Yeah," I replied, turning to see that she was approaching me again. She took my hand and placed it on her cheek, closing her eyes. My heart stopped and then started again.

"Why? Why does it do that?" she asked, letting my hand slip away. A small pink spot was left along her cheekbone. Shrugging my shoulders, I looked down at my palms.

"I'm not sure. But even in this weather, I don't need a coat...Technically, I've already got myself a fur coat," I said, smiling widely. Her lips pulled in at the corners, tightening slightly. She still didn't fully believe.

"If I showed you, would you believe me?"

"Show me?" her eyes were wide. She hadn't expected that, I was certain. I took a step away from her.

"Sure," I replied, dissappearing behind a tree. She remained where she was, stiff as a rail. Hidden behind the trees, I yanked off my jeans, tossing them to the side. I poked my head around the tree trunk. "You promised not so scream, remember? Keep that promise." She nodded, her eyes still wide, her mouth in a small circle.

Before she could say anything else, I phased right there behind the tree. I could feel myself growing, my fur coat emerging out of my skin. My face became elongated, fure sprouting along my cheeks as well. I took a huff of a breathe before turning, on all fours to walk back into the clearing. Cady's sharp intake of breathe made me nervous. Perhaps she _would_ go back on her word and yell for help. Maybe she would turn and run away, not even sure of where she was headed. I didn't move closer to her but I watched every move she made. She stared at me for the longest time, taking in my shaggy, russet fur, my black eyes, my soft muzzle. I stood motionless, as did she, waiting for her next move.

"Jacob?" she whispered. I let out a small whimper, ducking down so I stood at her level. Timidly, she took a step towards me, her shaking hand outstretched towards me. I closed the gap between us abruptly, causing her to gasp. Instead of running as I feared, she lifted her hand again and felt my face, letting the long hairs poke between her fingers. I lowered myself to the ground, lying in the cool dirt. Cady dropped to her knees, still shocked. She continued to run her hands along my entire body. It must have felt like petting her dog but to me, it was glorious. I leaned into every touch, humming quietly. To her, it was probably nothing more than a moment of realization but to me, it was very intimate.

_Sorry to interrupt, Jake. We lost them_, I suddenly heard in my head. My body tensed as I turned abruptly to gaze through the trees behind Cady.

"What is it?" she asked, scared. She turned, backing up so her back was pressed against me. I got to my feet, a low rumble coming from my chest. Cady stared wide eyed in the direction that the four new werewolves were approaching.

_What the hell, Jake, _Leah thought, rolling her eyes at the sight of Cady beside me. I growled at her. Cady took this as a warning and took a step back in fear. Immediatly, the four of them phased back into their human forms before us. During the process, Cady stood mesmorized but when it was done, she turned away, embarassed. They stood, fully naked in the gloom. I backed away and behind a bush, I phased back as well, pulling my jeans on roughly. I was still buttoning them when I returned to the group. The guys all wore shorts now and Leah was in an oversized T-shirt. I took Cady's hand and pulled her closer to the guys and Leah. She was still shocked, disbelieving.

"We followed them all the way up through Forks but we lost them in town. They were able to disguise themselves in the gloomy weather and, obviously, we couldn't," Sam explained. I nodded my head, avoiding Cady's gaze.

"So, we're not sure what they wanted?" I asked.

"We're thinking they _were_ coming here to hunt, not knowing that a pack of werewolves was living nearby. They were pretty shocked to see Paul and even more shocked to see the rest of us," Seth said with a laugh.

"How is he, anyway? Did he phase back?" Jared questioned.

"Yeah. It took a while but we got him to calm down. Just a few broken bones but he's probably better already."

"Wait," Cady suddenly said. "That thing you were carrying home was...was _Paul_?"

"Is it really that hard to believe after what I've just told you?" She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head, finally letting the truth sink in.

"This is crazy," she breathed.

"Why did you even involve her?" Leah groaned, her face, as usual, contorted in anger. I matched her gaze.

"You know I had no choice," I snarled viciously, holding Cady closer. She eyed Leah curiously.

"I won't tell anyone," Cady promised, causing Leah to laugh sarcastically.

"Who would believe you if you told? They'd think you were nuts," she spat. Sam took a step forward.

"Let's get back to the house. The woods aren't exactly safe anymore. Leah, let's _go_," he ordered, leading the way back towards the house. Cady wrapped her arm around my waist. She was shivering. I squeezed her tighter, rubbing her arm so the friction would heat her skin. Her shivering stopped almost immediatly.

Leah marched several feet ahead of us, her shoulders stiff, her head down. I could see her hands were clenched into fists. Couldn't she ever just be happy? It was still raining as we stepped out of the protection of the thick forest canvas and into Sam's back yard. Emily and Kim stood impatiently on the porch, awaiting our arrival. As soon as she saw us, Kim came hurrying forward. Jared broke free of our bunch. He had her in his arms before she could take three steps. Leah marched on towards the shed, tearing the door open and slamming it behind her. Glancing at Cady first, I started for the shed as well. She followed closely, hesitantly.

She didn't speak a word as I carefully unlatched the door, opening it a crack to peek inside. Paul was fully clothed and sat up on the cot. I let the door swing completely open. As we stepped inside, Paul's eyes fell upon Cady. The entire shed was silent for a moment, nobody uttering a single syllable. Suddenly, Sam was behind me, Emily, Jared, and Kim at his heels. He looked at Paul's arm and leg brace, nodding his head.

"Everything in place? We don't need to involve any doctors, do we?"

"Nope. I hardly even hurt anymore," Paul said, gazing down at himself. "Give me another half hour and I'll be up and about. So, did you catch the bloodsuckers?"

"We lost them," Sam answered. He had his arm around Emily, holding her close just as Jared held Kim, and I held Cady. I looked around the shed and found Leah seated on the cluttered counter, her knees pulled up with her arms wrapped around them. She glared at us hehind a sheet of her own hair. I gazed down at Cady who stood quietly, staring at Paul.

"Ah well. They weren't from around here and, by the looks of it, they'll be back. Looks like we've got some fun ahead of us, boys," Paul said, barking a laugh. He regretted the action immediatly, rubbing his side where his rips had cracked. Cady held me tighter. When I looked down at her again, I saw she had her eyes closed, her face buried into my shoulder.

"I'm going to take Cady home," I told them. "Where do you want to meet tonight?" Everyone looked at Sam.

"We'll meet around eleven. Let's give Paul some time to recover. And if he isn't well by then, he'll just have to spend the night at home," Sam replied. Paul grumbled on the cot, gazing down at his bad arm.

I gently turned Cady around and led her out of the shed. The day had taken it's tole on her physically as well as emotionally. With my arm around her waist, I carefully led her across the yard. Suddenly, the rain began to pick up, sending thick sheets of rain down to soak us. Cady gasped, looking up at the sky. Quickly, before she even knew what I was doing, I scooped her up and ran into the woods with her in my arms. I didn't stop running until we neared the forest edge that surrounded my house. In the driveway, I carefully tossed her into the passenger seat of the Rabbit and hurried around it and climbed into the driver's side. After slamming the door, I glanced at her.

"You're not even out of breathe," she exclaimed, wiping her wet hair out of her eyes. I shrugged, starting the engine.

"Are you cold?"

"Not with you sitting next to me." She blushed. "I mean, you're just warm is all." I laughed loudly, backing the car out of the driveway. We were quiet for a second or two.

"My house is that way," she told me, pointing out the passenger window. She had her head down, staring into her hands. I watched her twist the hem of her skirt with her fingers anxiously. It put a lump in my throat, choking me. I did my best to swallow it before saying anything.

"Are you alright? I mean, you're not going to freak out are you?" She shook her head.

"I'm still having a hard time believing this. Surely this is a dream." I thought a moment, focusing on the road.

"Well, if you're dreaming then this is a pretty good dream. After all, you're dreaming of me." A small laugh escaped her lips. "Seriously though, Cady. You have to understand this. It's important for you to knew these things."

"Seeing how we're already on the topic, would you mind explaing what you meant when you told that girl you had no choice but to tell me?" I didn't answer, avoiding her gaze. "Why didn't you have a choice, Jacob?"

"Because I imprinted on you," I said, pursing my lips. She sighed loudly, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms.

"More werewolf lingo, I assume. Turn here," she muttered. "What _is_ imprinting?"

It took me a minute to actually answer. I wondered how to say what was in my head. To me, imprinting was more of a feeling rather than an action. It wasn't as if I had walked up to her and-WHAM-imprint. It was more of a heartstopping experience that had left me breathless. I could recall the electrical shock that had surged through my body when I first saw her face, the pain I felt in my heart as if looks could kill. Her breathtaking beauty had nearly sent me into a coma. The memory caused the skin on my arms to tingle.

"Do you remember when I first saw you?" I asked. She nodded.

"The day I dropped my earring."

"Yes. A werewolf can search forever for his soulmate, can die before he finds it. But sometimes, their soulmate finds them. It's like a slap in the face, a reality check almost. Though, I would have called it more of a dream. I've never felt that way before. It's invigorating." I turned to look at her and found her staring at me with yet another confused expression.

"Okay," she said quietly.

"You can't ever love anyone else. The person you imprint on becomes a part of you. It isn't something you can brush off. Though, I guess the person could simply walk away but the werewolf could not. He would rather die than live without the one he loves, the one he adores. It's pretty wierd, actually."

"So, does the person feel it, too?"

"You tell me," I said, glancing at her briefly. We were headed into the woodsier parts of La Push. Houses were growing farther and farther apart.

"You mean, you did that to me? Is that why...Is that why you looked at me the way you did? Like you...Like you had never seen anything so stunning. I almost turned around to be sure you were looking at me." She blushed again. "I felt drawn to you. It was as if I were a magnet and you were pulling me towards you. It was difficult to turn away. But I still don't understand, Jacob."

"You will. I promise," I said. She pointed to a driveway that was hidden behind a pile of giant boulders. Pulling the car into the long drive, my lips remained closed. I didn't want to discuss the matter anymore. She wasn't getting it and I was finding it harder to explain. Perhaps I'd drop by in the morning to try again. She was exhausted, after all.

Cady's house was a single story log cabin tucked between a circle of trees. There was hardly any room for the sun to shine down on it. It was a small house, no bigger than my own. As we pulled in, I spotted an old bloodhound climb to his feet lazily. He let out one loud bark, his tail wagging. A navy blue Buick was parked beside the house. After I put the Rabbit in park, I climbed out of it, leaving the engine running. Cady stepped out as well, meeting me around the front. As I walked her to the door, she reached out to grasp my hand in hers. It felt great, her cool skin on mine. It made my palms tingle at the touch.

We stopped at the doorway. There wasn't anything left to say. She gazed up into my eyes for several minutes. I could almost hear the gears grinding in her head, working hard to keep up with what she had had to take in. Her eyes sparkled, even if she was frowning slightly. After another minute or two, she smiled timidly. I mimicked the action, spreading my lips wide, revealing my teeth. It made her laugh. And I would do anything to hear her laugh again. The sound sent waves of chilled excitement down my spine and back up. It made my knees wobble, almost clicking together.

I left her there, hurrying back to the Rabbit. She stood on the porch, watching me leave. She was smiling slightly. I saw her shake her head gently before turning to walk inside. What wild dreams she would have that night. Would they be nightmares? Would she wake up afraid of me? The idea tortured me. I almost wanted to hurry back inside and hold her close while she dozed off, protecting her from her own thoughts. The idea sounded so good that I actually reached down to clutch the shifter. My hand remained there for a second or two but Sam's face drifted across my mind. He needed me there later that night. I threw the car in drive and raced down the road, back towards Billy's house.


	8. Prove It

Chapter Eight

Jacob POV

Dinner was simple: three peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, two cups of pudding, a bag of potato chips and half a dozen cookies washed down with a tall glass of milk. It hardly satisfied me. I sat on the couch watching a poorly done movie from the nineties to pass the time when I heard the rumble of a car outside. Charlie was outside, dropping my father off after leaving the party. Billy rolled through the door, his eyes droopy and his hair rumpled. He'd been drinking. He waved a tired hand and didn't pause as he rolled right on by to his bedroom. I was sure he'd be out before his head even hit the pillow. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet.

The phone rang loudly from it's place on the kitchen counter. I shoved myself off of the couch, stretching as I stood. A few bones in my spine cracked, easing the stiffness. It was Seth. He sounded irritated.

"Something is up with Leah," he said into the reciever.

"Like what?" I asked, absentmindedly reaching over to tear a banana loose from it's bundle on the counter. As he started to speak, I carefully peeled off the yellow skin.

"She's just...Out of control. Whatever you did to her, man, you'd better fix it!" He was sounding more angry.

"What's she doing?" I asked, half the banana already shoved into my mouth. Seth sighed in annoyance.

"Just get over here...pronto." The line went dead. Typical Leah...always causing problems. Why couldn't she just accept the fact that she was one of us? Why did she have to be so uncomfortable with it? She couldn't relax like I could, like Sam, Quil, or Embry could. I rammed the remainder of the banana into my mouth before straightening up and heading out the door. Billy was dead to the world by now. I didn't even pause to leave a note.

I sped the Rabbit through La Push to the Clearwater's house. The sun had set, so what few streetlamps occupied the reservation were lit. It was a ghost town. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw that Sue had not yet returned from the beach party. I hardly had to knock on the door because Seth was opening it before I could even drop my hand. His face appeared just as flustered as his voice had on the phone. Before I could say anything, he walked out and past me.

"What..."

"You deal with her," he spat over his shoulder, dissappearing into the night. What the hell was he talking about? I turned towards the open doorway, precariously taking a step towards it. Nothing _appeared_ to be out of the ordinary. It was quiet. I walked inside and looked around. In the living room, I found Leah pacing back and forth. As soon as she saw me, she growled, her straight white teeth bared. I didn't take a step closer.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled. She appeared to be insane. Her long hair hung around her dainty shoulders, leaves and debris sticking through it. She woar only a pair of beat up denim shorts and an oversized T-shirt. Her dirty feet were bare.

"Seth said something was up," I replied, eyeing her closely. She looked ready to pounce.

"Seth doesn't know anything..and why would he call _you_? What could _you_ do?" she spat, thrusting her arms out before her in my direction.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to leave, idiot. Get out of my house."

"What _else_ do you want? I can't do that," I said calmly. My serenity seemed to agitate her. Her small hands were clenched into fists, shaking intensely.

"It doesn't matter what I want. Nobody cares anyway," she replied, her voice shrill.

"I care." She laughed sarcastically at that, turning away from me. "What the hell is your problem, Leah?" Wrong move. At the tone of my voice, she reached for a decorative vace full of flowers, turning around and whipping it at my head. I dodged it quickly, letting the piece shatter against the wall.

"I hate you! Get out!" she screamed, hurling a lamp at me which I avoided easily. She continued to dart things across the room at me, several books, a framed picture, some candles, anything she could get her hands on. All the while, her face was twisted in fury, anger and something else that I couldn't put my finger on. I dodged everything as I made my way towards her. As she backed away, her heel caught on the throw rug causing her to lose her balance. She fell against a table, knocking over another lamp as well as two wolf fingurines.

Even on the floor, she tried to reach for something else to throw at me. Before she could grip anything that would inflict damage, I was standing over her. As I bent down to her level, she proceeded to slap at me, to punch my arms, kicking me with her legs. Her face, I noticed, wasn't as strong as before. I watched as her angry expression slowly deteriorated into one of extreme pain. Before I knew it, she was sobbing, her slaps and punches becoming slower, more feeble. Hurriedly, I wrapped my arms around her like a brother would. Despite the fact that Leah and I had never been extremely close, I knew something was very wrong. I'd never seen her tough-guy stance crumble as it had in that moment. She finally stopped trying to hurt me and clung to me instead, her face buried into my shoulder. She was sobbing loudly, openly, the kind of cry that is embarassing, pathetic. The kind you can't avoid no matter how hard you try. Leah had finally broken down. She was in pain...As we sat in the now destroyed living room, I sqeezed her tighter.

Her fingers dug into my back as she pulled me impossibly closer to her. Perhaps it was her subconcious attempt to hide her face. Leah wasn't one to express her emotions. She had always felt the need to prove something. She had always felt the need to prove she was just as tough as the rest of us. More often than not, it had only put us in danger. Her over eagerness could also be described as stupidity at times. I didn't say anything as I let her cry, her tears soaking my shirt. What could I say? I didn't even know what was the matter.

"I hate you," she continued to sob. "I hate all of you." That wasn't too hard to believe. But I had actually come to think she saw us as her brothers now, her family who she could trust. It made me wonder what she was holding back, what she couldn't say or think about. What had been eating at her? What had finally broken her down? I let her calm down, let her regain her stability. She wasn't thinking straight. When her tears finally slowed, she pulled away from me, avoiding me gaze. We sat there on the floor in silence. Finally, growing impatient, I reached up and stuck my fingers under her chin, pulling her head up to face me.

"What's the matter, Leah? You can tell me," I pleaded, showing her with my eyes that I cared deeply. She shook her head gently. "Leah..."

"It's not fair," she started, her breathing still coming in short rasps.

"What's not fair?"

"Everything. In the entire pack, I'm the only girl, the only drawback. Everyone else can be completely comfortable with themselves, think anything they want but I can't. How do you think it feels having images of only girls in your head when you want to think about boys? How do you think it feels when I get yelled at for thinking about a boy when each one of you can think of whom ever you please? How do you think it feels being the weakest link? I hate it. I hate being powerless.

"Nobody trusts me. They all think I'm going to screw up again like I did with the newborns. Nobody thinks I can defend myself or the pack. Nobody would care if I stayed home while you all go out running. It sucks, Jake. Why am I the only girl? I can't even ask any of the elders for advice because there has never been a female werewolf before. I don't know how things work. I mean, can a femal werewolf imprint? And even if I could imprint, no guy is going to react the way a girl would. Girls love attention. Who ever I imprint on, _if_ I ever imprint, is going to think I'm some phsycho stalker. Guys don't act the same was as girls do. They don't appreciate love and devotion like a girl does."

"You're wrong there, Leah. Guys like that kind of stuff, believe it or not. They _love_ it, actually. I bet you'll find that special bloke who will sweep you off your feet at first glance and he won't be able to resist such charm. You're being too hard on yourself, Sis. Which ever guy that is lucky enough to have your love and devotion will know that he has won himself a prize greater than life itself--He'll realize that it _is_ life itself. Trust me, Leah. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, you don't have to imprint on someone to love them."

"But I'm afraid to love anyone too much and then have to turn on them when I imprint on someone else, like Sam did. I couldn't live with myself," she moaned, gazing at me through glassy eyes. They were like window panes, revealing all her deepest, darkest emotions. For the moment, she had let her guard down.

"I'm not sure. That's your call but you can't spend your life constantly _looking _for that special someone. If it's really meant to be, he'll find you."

"I guess. But the pack still sees me as the weakest link. They never want to involve me in anything."

"The pack just thinks that, because you're so small, you might not be as durable. We don't want you to get hurt," I said, smiling slightly. She furrowed her brow.

"Sam thinks I'm going to screw up again. I've heard it in his head a million times, no matter how hard he tries to hide it. He thinks I'm going to get myself killed."

"He knows you're trying to prove something," I replied.

"Because that's the only way to show them that I _can_ do what they can do. I _can_ win in a fight. If I don't show them, they'll mock me for the rest of my life. They think I'm weak. I know I'm not. They think I'm stupid. I'd outsmart them all. They think I'd lose. I would come out on top. It's not easy to make them see." Leah shook her head, dropping her gaze to her bare toes.

"It's because you're trying too hard. Let the pieces fall where they may. Should you end up in a fight, show them who's boss, but you really don't have to go out of your way to prove to everyone what you're capable of. You're only the weakest link if you aren't a part of the group. You see, Leah, you were hiding from us. This right now is the result. You tried too hard to keep your feelings from us, your brothers, that it eventually burnt you out. It made you weaker, more breakable. You have to learn to be a part of the pack and not just one single wolf." She stared at me, eyes wide, afraid.

"Alone, we are nothing. Corny as this may sound but we're strongest when we work together. It's not every man for himself out there," I said, jabbing my thumb in the direction of the woods. She nodded her head.

"I guess you're right," she sighed, wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks. "But what about Sam? He's always telling me off for anything I do. I can never do anything right."

"I think sometimes you weren't entirely listening. Maybe you were...blinded...by your desire to show the pack what you could do. We all know what you can do. Heck, I bet you'd beat Quil in an arm wrestling match if you got the chance. If you let your guard down, quit hiding out behind your anger, you'll notice some big changes in the way Sam reigns. Mark my words."

"Okay. Thanks, Jake. I'm, uh, sorry I threw the lamp at you," she muttered, her cheeks flushing.

"And the vase, and the picture, and those candles. I could go on," I replied, laughing.

"Alright, alright. And I don't really hate you. You're a pretty good brother, after all." I got to my feet and helped her up as well.

"It's about time you figured that one out," I laughed, puffing out my chest jokingly. For the first time in months, Leah laughed, too. Not one of those itty bitty titters, either. It was completely real, snorts and all. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of both our shoulders. We hurriedly cleaned up what we could of Sue's living room before heading outside. In the cool night air, I pulled my T-shirt off, dropping my jeans. Leah did the same at my side as we began to move faster towards the forest.

"You really think I could beat Quil at arm wrestling?"

"Without a doubt," I replied, a smile on my lips.

"I'll have to try it sometime. You're not going to tell the guys about all this, are you?" she asked, carefully tying her T-shirt around her slight hips.

"May my thoughts drift elsewhere," I promised, phasing as we moved under the cover of the trees. She did, too. Soon, we were running side-by-side through the woods, between the trees, over and under thick branches and bushes. The cool air whooshed past my ears, creating ripples in my fur. We didn't have to meet Sam for another couple of hours, so we just ran for pleasure. To me, it was the most amazing feeling, apart from Cady. What she felt like was unreal, heaven, blissfulness. Nothing could compare. But running was definately the easiest way to ease any tention that I might have. We ran in silence, taking in our surroundings, the sounds, the smells, the taste of the moist air. This was perfect.

Despite the fact that we had left the house with hours to spare before meeting Sam, we were the last to make it into the small clearing in which we met. Everyone was in their human form, naked as usual. They turned to see Leah and I phase in midstep, closing the circle. Seth watched his sister's face, closely. After seeing that there was no anger left in her eyes, he relaxed, turning back to Sam.

"Now that we are all here. This is the plan. I want us to split up into pairs. I don't want the same thing that happened to Paul to happen again. Quil, you and Embry run along the river. I wouldn't be surprised if they were hiding out around there to cover their scent. Paul, I want you and Jared to scope the entire forest in western La Push. Any hints, I want to know about them. Seth, take Leah down to--"

"I'm not going with Leah. She's lethal at the moment," Seth complained loudly. His sister growled viciously, dark eyes glaring at her brother.

"I'll go with her," I volunteered.

"Whatever. Jake and Leah, I want the two of you to find anything you can in the entire eastern forest. Got it? Seth and I will go through the mountains. They can't have gotten far," Sam said. He gazed around at us all.

"If anyone should fall into trouble, call for help immediatly. I'm more confident now because we'll be in partners. We'll have a chance at killing one of them if they get too near." Deep rumbles of laughter filled the clearing. "Meet me back here in two hours if everything goes fine."

Pop after pop, the entire pack transformed into their wolf forms. In groups of two, everyone went their different ways. I ran with Leah towards the eastern forest. It had been in that part of the forest that Paul had gotten attacked. Knowing that, we kept our eyes especially peeled. I listened carefully to what anyone had to say. If anyone found anything, I would know right away but I was far to busy searching for anything significant to focus on everything the pack did at the moment. Leah ran about twenty feet to my right, her head low as she sniffed around for anything within reach. There were a lot of broken twigs where animals had stepped but I didn't find anything strange or worth remembering. We checked the small meadow in which Paul had been cornered and found nothing but his blood. The only positive outcome that came from our search was the lingering trail the vampire duo had left hours before. It was soon covered by the pack's scent. With nothing to recover, we made our way back to the clearing to wait for Sam and the others to return.

When we made it there, I layed in the grass and listened to what the pack was doing. Paul and Jared were in the middle of a thurough search of the western forest. To no surprise, I saw they had still found nothing. Quil and Embry, however, both carried some branches in their teeth. They were running back towards the clearing. Sam and Seth were circling the mountains. Seth, I noticed, also carried something in his mouth, some sort of article of clothing.

_We found fresh blood. Human blood and it's not from the same family that was murdered_, Quil announced, entering the clearing. He and Embry dropped their prizes and came to sit beside us.

_Sam is going to love it_, Embry remarked, his entire body radiating smugness. Leah and I both rolled our eyes, listening again to what the pack was thinking. Sam and Seth were headed back while Jared and Paul continued their search. Within minutes, the entire pack was shifting in shape, filling the clearing, once again, with popping noises.

"I found this," Seth said, tossing a shirt at me. I caught it quickly, bringing it to my nose and sniffing it before passing it on to Quil.

"It's the same person that this blood belongs to," Quil noticed, pointing to the branches that he and Embry had found.

"They're definately killing, these leeches are. But, I think, now they're doing it to provoke us. Why else? They had just fed hours ago. They should have been good for another week. They're either doing it for fun or for revenge," Sam said.

"Well, we're not going to bother finding out. They're going to die either way," Seth growled. The entire pack muttered in agreement.

"Where do we start?" I asked, gazing through the darkness at Sam. He thought a minute.

"So far, we have no leads. I'm not sure--" He broke off suddenly as a shrill wolf cry broke through the crisp night air. Everyone froze. The sound cried again, it was distant but definately distinguishable. Jared and Paul were calling for help. Without hesitation, we phased right there. Somewhere in the process of changing from man into wolf, I realized someone was shouting. It nearly gave me a migraine it was so loud.

_--headed to her house! They saw Jake take her home_, Jared was screaming in my head. I froze, turning to look at Sam. He stared at me, realization sinking in.

_Sam, did you hear me? They're headed to Cady's house!_ Before I knew what I was doing, I was running. I was running faster than I'd ever ran before. The trees were a blur. I hardly felt the earth beneath my feet as I moved. Driven by fear, I let myself fly through the underbrush, thinking of nothing but how my life would be over if she ceased to exist. I couldn't let those leeches touch her, hurt her, kill her. Paul and Jared had been ahead of me but I whizzed past them.

As I neared the house, that all-too-familiar stench burned at my nostrils. They were close, possibly inside the house. The pack circled the area, eyes peeled for any sight of movement but I darted straight for the cabin, my snarls loud and menacing in the midnight air. If those filthy, stinking, bloodsuckers were near, they were sure to hear me. If they even tried to touch her, surely they would die because I would not tolerate it, I could not! I pushed thoughts of unhappy endings from my mind as I bounded towards the cabin. The pack closed in behind me. We were ready...


	9. Emotions

Chapter Nine

Jacob POV

Do you ever get that feeling of helplessness? That no matter what you do, somone you love is going to get hurt? It seems as if I get that feeling way to often. First Bella and now Cady. The sense of loss I'd thought I had when Bella chose Edward over me was excrutiating, unendurable but to lose Cady would be so much worse. Imagine a world without the sun, without a sky, without air. That would be life, to me, if Cady were to die. There would be nothing left but darkness, unable to see, unable to breath. I would never be comfortable again, be cheerful again. And the idea bothered me more than anything else. I hated the idea, loathed it. There was no way that I would let Cady die.

As I bounded towards her little cabin, snarls ripping from my throat, I saw her ghostly white figure appear in, what I assumed was, her bedroom window. Her angel's face was paled, shocked as she hurriedly tore the window open. I skidded to a stop beneath the sill, sniffing the air menacingly. They were near, but how near I could not be sure. Cady leaned out the window.

"Jacob?" she whispered hesitantly. I let out a short whimper before the low grumbles returned. Her eyes widened and she looked around, fear definately taking place in those sparkling orbs. She was finally getting the picture. I saw her look over the entire pack, circling the cabin, their eyes darting everywhere in search of something obvious.

"Is something wrong?" Cady asked, looking into my eyes again. I wanted to phase right there but in the process of phasing, I'd shredded my jeans to pieces. I had nothing to cover myself in. And yet, that seemed so unimportant that it caught me off guard. What mattered more? My privacy or Cady's life? The answer was obvious. Still, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I motioned for her to come to me, to climb out the window. To my displeasure, she shook her head defiantly.

"What's wrong, Jake? I don't speak wolf." At her response, I snarled to myself, spit oozing from my teeth. At the same time, I turned around and around, keeping an eye out for those hideous bloodsuckers. They had to be near, their scent was cutting into my air passages. I eyed Cady once more, whimpering loudly as I knew what I had to do. She watched as my claws retracted into my paws which were quickly sprouting long, dark fingers. My fur retreated back into my skin, my jaw realigning itself. As if she knew what to expect, Cady tossed a towel in my direction, keeping her eyes on my changing face. I hurriedly wrapped it around my waist just before the transformation was complete.

"Jake, please tell--"

"I need you to get out of the house, Cady. Now!" I ordered, reaching to take her hand.

"Why?" she asked, not pulling away from me but not moving closer. All the while, I grew more impatient, grumbles still reverberating through my chest.

"There are two vampires, two _dangerous_ vampires, on your property as we speak. They might already be in the house. Hurry up, Cady. I can smell them!" I yelled as she hesitated. There was a TV playing in another room. The icy sweet scent continued to scorch my nostrils, seemly getting worse and worse. Suddenly, Cady's bedroom door was thrown open, smacking against the wall forcefully. She turned with a gasp, eyes wide, face still pale. I gasped as soon as I realized what stood in the doorway, the female. Faster than light, I reached through the window, wrapped my arm around Cady's waist and yanked her out the window before the vampire could take a step. Without hesitation, I tossed Cady onto my back and started running for the forest, the towel in my fist.

"You'd better hold on," I ordered, stuffing part of the towel between my feet and diving into the trees. As I phased, Cady screamed in surprise, her shrill cry echoing through the midnight air. I didn't pause to check to see if she'd recovered from her shock and ran, hard, through the woods. Cady's death grip around my neck would have been suffocating had I not been driven by fear. I ran and ran, not caring where I went but as long as she was very far from harm's way. It took me a minute to realize she was screaming something.

"My grandfather! We've left my grandfather in danger!" she wailed, beating my shoulder with her feeble fists. I didn't stop. It was not her grandfather who I feared for, not her grandfather who I would die for, who I would do anything for. The pack would keep him safe. That vampire didn't stand a chance.

When I thought I'd ran far enough away, I stopped with a jerk, sending Cady headfirst over my shoulders as I phased with a pop. She screamed again, throwing her arms out to protect herself but I caught her gently in my steal arms before she was even close to hitting the ground. It was silent for a moment, our eyes locked. For that one second, we both forgot our fears, forgot what we had run from in the first place. For that one second, it was only she and I. How I wished that second could last forever.

Fear flooded back into her vibrant eyes as she squirmed to escape my grip. Realiznig what she wanted, I gently placed her on her feet, wrapping the towl around myself once more. She didn't pause to say anything but stubbornly marched back the way we had come. Was she insane? I grasped her hand, pulling her back to me.

"No, Jake! We left my grandfather there with a _vampire_ in the house! He's deaf, he wouldn't have heard her come in," she squeaked, her voice raising an octave in hysteria.

"The pack won't let anything happen to him," I soothed, holding her close to me.

"How do you know? How can you possibly know that?"

"Built in radio system," I told her, pointing to my temple. "We can hear eachother's thoughts when we're in wolf form. It makes things easier...and harder." She stared at me for a minute before pushing herself away from me. This time I let her take a few steps back in the direction we'd come. But I was standing swiftly in front of her in seconds. My sudden close proximity seemed to stun her.

"Please, don't go back. It would kill me if she found you again," I pleaded, letting my eyes bore into hers. She stared at me for another minute or two, placing her hands on her hips.

"You expect me to just sit here and wait to find out whether my grandfather is dead or not?"

"He's not dead. I'd know."

"You said there were two vampires. I only saw one. What if the other was--"

"Your grandfather is fine, trust me. The leeches only wanted you." I growled the last part, my eyes darkening. I heard her breath come in short rasps.

"What do they want me for?"

"I don't know. They saw me drop you off earlier. They must have recognized my scent. They're the type of creature who likes to play games with their prey, to toy with them before killing them. It's disgusting," I said.

"Before killing them? Killing you? Killing me?" she asked, her eyes pooling with tears. I pulled her to me, squeezing her tight. After releasing her, she sank to the ground wordlessly. I could see the worry in her eyes, the fear in the way she held her face. I sank to her level, sitting in front of her.

"Would it help if I distracted you, you know, until it's over?" I asked, taking her hand in mine. She raised her eyes to meet my own, her lips tightening. "So, have you always lived with your grandfather?" She waited several minutes to respond. At first, I thought she would only stare at me, her eyes rolling in annoyance. This was too casual of a conversation to be having on such an occasion. However, a few seconds later, she answered.

"Since I was four. My parents died in an automobile accident so I was sent to live with Gran and Gramp."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. She waved it off.

"I don't remember them at all, though I guess it is very sad. I do wish I could have gotten to know them. I lived with my grandparents for about twelve years in Colorado until Gran was diagnosed with cancer. She died months later. It was real hard on Gramp, he was really depressed. He doesn't do much anymore. We moved here because we couldn't afford our home in Colorado. It was too big, so here I am," she said with a sigh.

"Do you hate it here?"

"No," she said, blushing slightly. "Not anymore, at least." It brought a wide grin to my face that I could not possibly disguise so I looked away.

"You said your grandfather was deaf. Has he always been that way?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"No. He worked in factories all his life so, naturally, the loud noises woar his ears out. He's had trouble hearing all my life but it wasn't until I was about ten when he lost all sound," she replied. It was obvious she was loosening up. Her back relaxed and she laid back on the dirt, her dark hair fanning out around her. It was then that I noticed she wore only a thin spagetti strap shirt with a pair of pajama pants made of the same sheer material. She had to be freezing.

"Are you cold?"

"A little," she breathed, gazing up at me. I had nothing to give her. I was completely naked but for the towel she'd lent me to wrap around my hips. There was nothing around for me to use to warm her. However, _I_ could warm her.

"Come closer to me," I ordered, laying down beside her. Without hesitation, she pressed herself up against me. I closed both my arms around her, a bubble of heat. She was warm within seconds.

"So, how do you communicate with your grandfather? Does he know sign language?" I asked, continuing our conversation. She shook her head.

"He never learned it, no. Usually, I can pretty much guess what he wants but if it's too difficult, he carries a little chalk board for messages." She sighed, dropping her gaze to stare pointedly at my shoulder. "It gets too quiet. I hate the quiet. So I sleep with the television, or the radio on."

"Do you do a lot of things together?"

"We used to. He just sits around the house these days. He's getting old, you know?"

"That's sad," I pointed out, absentmindedly teasing a strand of her long hair. She shrugged again, still eyeing my shoulder. I didn't think she would speak again for she closed her eyes and buried her face in my chest, absorbing the heat. It felt right, having her in my arms. I wondered if she felt the same way.

"She had red eyes," Cady suddenly said, her voice muffled.

"Hmm?"

"That women in my bedroom. She had red eyes and her skin was so white."

"They all look like that," I informed her. "If you had been close enough to touch her, which I would never let happen, you would have noticed her skin is cold as ice and harder than marble."

"Does she have fangs?" she asked, tilting her head back and gazing up at my curiously. I laughed, brushing a strand of hair off of her face.

"No but their teeth are razor sharp and they're filled with venom. One bite and you're one of them." The shiver that shot through her body caused me to squeeze her tighter to me, though I'm sure it wasn't a shiver from the cold but one of fear.

"But your friends, your brothers are over there fighting with them. What happens if one of them get bitten?" The question made me think.

"I'm honestly not sure. I think our bodies wouldn't be able to stand two powerful forces at once, both intensely strong, occupying it. We would probably die right away but don't worry. We were made to kill vampires, us werewolves. They are our natural enemy. The only thing that can kill a vampire is a werewolf or another vampire. No human could even try."

"That's helpful. Do the vampires fight amongst themselves often?" she asked, her brows pulled closer together.

"More often when they are younger, newer. I think it's more for power than anything.

"But why are their eyes red?"

"Because they're evil!" I stated loudly, surprised that she couldn't understand. "When you were little and you dreamt of monsters under your bed with sharp teeth and red eyes, where did you think those dreams came from? The stories started somewhere. They're filthy creatures, those leeches."

"Why do you call them leeches?" she asked, once again, curiously. I raised a brow, a smile forming on my lips. "Because they suck blood?"

"Obviously."

"This is beyond ridiculous. I must be dreaming," she said to herself, turning away from me so she could look up through the trees at the black sky. The clouds blocked all the stars.

"Would you please stop saying that?" I pleaded, burying my face into her sweet smelling hair. "This is real and I need to know that you realize just how much danger surrounds you. You need to know why I can't possibly leave you alone now, can't possibly leave you anywhere those bloodsuckers can find you. Do you know what would happen if they hurt you? If they killed you?" She turned to look at me, forehead creased slightly.

"Do you realize how much you mean to me? Do you? Don't you see that if you were to die, all that is good in me will perish as well? And even if you don't feel the same about me yet, I can't help but know that I cannot bare the thought of losing you. Especially when I _just_ found you." My penetrating gaze made her lie still, her eyes unblinking. I couldn't tell what she could possibly be thinking but I'm quite certain I heard her heartbeat quicken. It was exhilerating. Slowly, gently, I leaned forward and kissed her on the top of her head before pressing my forehead against hers. With my eyes closed, I remained there, unmoving. Cady was as still as a rock, her heart racing, her breathing coming quickly. It took several minutes for it to slow down. When it did, I pulled away, smiling. She had a shy grin on her face after reading my expression.

"Sorry," I breathed. "I let my emotions get the better of me."

"I don't mind," she replied, her voice no louder than a whisper. I swiftly pulled away from her, getting to my feet. She sat up, watching me walk away, her eyes wide.

"Why don't I find out what's happening with the pack," I threw over my shoulder, obscuring myself behind a bush. I tossed the towel to the side, glancing once more at her before changing. In wolf form, I returned to her side, lying down and resting my head on my paws, a comfortable position. Cady stared at me as I listened.

In my head, I could see smoke, lots of smoke. I was looking through Sam's eyes at the moment. He was watching Paul and Embry toss bits and pieces of something white into a fire with there teeth. They were no longer near the cabin, I realized, and Quil, Seth, Leah, and Jared were missing. After watching Embry throw the female's unattatched head into the flames, I decided to move elsewhere. Quil was at the cabin. He were circling, still searching, sniffing to be sure the area was clear. Apparantly it was. He ran around to the front of the house and I saw Jared, in human form leaving the house, closing the door gently behind him.

"It's clear. The old man is out like a light. I don't think he heard anything," Jared said to Quil, to me before changing as well. Cady's grandfather was safe. I moved on to look through Seth's eyes but he was nowhere to be found. I assumed he was in human form. Leah must have been with him because I couldn't hear her thoughts, either. I got to my feet, trotting to the bush once more, grabbing the towel with my teeth and transforming back into human form. The towel was tied snugly around my hips before I stepped out from behind the plants. Cady still watched me, her eyes still burning with worry. I grinned, offering her a hand.

"You'll be happy to know that the grandfather is alive and well. He slept through the entire event. The female is dead. I couldn't see the male so I'm not sure about him but the female is definately done. We can go back now. Are you completely opposed to the idea of me running as a wolf with you on my back? Was that too scary?" I asked, pulling her to her feet, not letting go of her hand after she stood.

"No, it didn't scare me," she replied and I quickly tossed her, effortlessly, onto my back as I started for the trees. She gasped in surprise at the quick, sudden action before wrapping her arms around my neck and locking her legs around my waist. I let out a laugh as I phased and began running back to her house, back to where the others were. A sense of ease washed through me. Half the battle was already over as far as I was concerned. At least I knew that the female was destroyed and she could no longer hurt Cady, or anyone else for that matter. But I still knew that the male would be waiting, possibly hinding, until the timing was right. The idea sent a chill down my spine. Though I wished it was, this wasn't over.


	10. Visitors

**Chapter Ten**

**Jacob POV**

Sam was exceptionally proud of the fact that we had successfully destroyed one of the vampires. He was very confident that we would get the other in no time. Apparantly the male had gone to the cabin but escaped through the cracks of our plan as the pack took down his mate. Seth and Leah took off after him, chasing him through the woods into Forks. They phased and quickly pulled on something to cover themselves as they entered the town. But in human form, they were not quick enough. They could only follow the male up near Charlie's house where he sped up, dissappearing into the darkness.

For the next couple of days, I kept a watchful eye on Cady. I stood guard outside her home at night while she slept. The sounds of classical music could be heard coming from her bedroom. When she needed to leave, I was her escort. Mostly, she stayed with me at Billy's or Sam's place. She didn't seem to mind. Though, her friends began calling, looking for her. They were all too curious about her new friends, especially me. Sam thought it was better for her to be near the pack, safer. I couldn't agree more.

It was wednesday night and the entire pack was crammed into Sam and Emily's kitchen enjoying one of Emily's homecooked meals. Cady sat squished between Embry and me, her cheeks flushed. I couldn't understand why. She had been loosening up around us, laughing with us. I gazed at her questioningly.

"Are you alright?" She seemed surprised.

"Yes," she said with a small laugh. "It's just so warm between the two of you. How do you stand it?" I chuckled, watching her raise a hand to brush her moist forehead. Embry and I both scooted as far as we could away from her and it was not very far. She had an inch, maybe two, on either side of her. Emily sat across from us, smiling warmly, the good side of her face radiant. Nothing pleased her more than having a big happy family.

Everyone was extremely calm. It was almost shocking.

Leah sat with Quil, taking bets on who could beat the other at arm wrestling. Apparantly, she'd taken my compliment to heart. I laughed at that. Jared, Paul and Sam were discussing cars. Jared was thinking of buying himself a new car. Paul thought the idea was idiotic. He tried to pursuade his friend to get a used vehicle, rather than spending all the extra money on a new one. Sam agreed with Paul. I looked over at Seth who was telling Emily a story I'd already heard. Emily listened politely, obviously having not heard this tale before. Cady laughed as Embry told her joke after joke.

"...and so the girl says, 'I was at a roller disco!'" Cady laughed so hard at this joke that she nearly fell out of her chair. I quickly wrapped my arm around her to steady her. She was still shaking in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes when Embry started with another. It put me more at ease, I suppose, to see her so happy. At least she wasn't as worried as I was, though I tried to hide it. I couldn't get past the idea of knowing that that leech was on the lookout for her. It scared me. I ate my spagetti in silence, occasionally smiling at Cady's angelic laughter.

Paul's conversation was getting louder. Pushing my half empty plate away from me, I focused my attention on their side of the table.

"Don't you want something that's good on gas?" Sam asked, leaning on his elbow. Jared shrugged.

"I just want something I can ride through the mountains with. You know, an off-road vehicle," he said. Paul glared at him.

"You don't _need_ a vehicle to go through the mountains, idiot."

"I do if I want to bring Kim with me," Jared remarked, eyeing Paul closely.

"So, get a Jeep or something," Seth suddenly said. Apparantly his story was over and he was out of things to say. He too had been listening in to this conversation.

"That would be cool," Jared thought to himself. "Or a motorcycle."

"Sam, don't you get an auto magazine in the mail every week?" Seth asked from across the table. Sam turned, thoughtful, and nodded. Seth stood abruptly, trotting to the door. "I'll go get it from the mailbox. Jared you should see this one bike. It would be perfect and it _is_ used." He threw open the door and ducked out it, closing it with a snap behind him.

"What if you just got an old Ranger or something? That way you can take us along, too," Paul said with a laugh, elbowing Jared in the ribs.

"A friend of mine used to have a Ranger and it was pretty reliable," Sam said with a sigh, stretching his arms back behind his head. I distinctly heard the joints crack from the movement.

"I could build you a car, Jared. What do you think about that?" I asked with a grin. "Except I'd need parts."

"Are you kidding? That would call for big bucks. He ain't got that kind of dough," Paul remarked. Cady snorted beside me, still in conversation with Embry. It caught my attention so I looked over to see her laughing openly.

"Have you head his joke about the nun and the vampire, Jacob?" she asked me, smiling widely. I shrugged my broad shoulders, absentmindedly wrapping an arm around her waist. She snuggled closer.

"I think I've heard them all, yeah," I said with a smile. "I got one. What do you call a vampire's pet dog?" Cady stared at me questionly, thinking for a moment.

"Um...Fang?" she guessed. Her answer only widened my smile.

"No, Cady. A blood-hound." She giggled, realization taking place in her eyes. Embry grunted.

"That was lame," he voiced with a slight laugh. I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's all I've got."

Suddenly, the front door was thrown open and Seth appeared in the doorway. His face was contorted in surprise. His expression nearly stopped my heart when I saw it.

"We've got visitors," he exclaimed.

"Visitors? As in more than one?" I asked, pulling Cady even closer to me. Her grin had dissappeared.

"Yes and it was familiar. I recognized the scent right away," Seth said, his forehead creased.

"Who is it and how close are they?" Sam asked.

"They're in the forest, just outside of La Push but the scent was strong enough for me to catch it out by the road."

"Who is it?" I repeated Sam's question. Seth gazed at me, his expression contorted in confusion, digust, and worry. I didn't know what to expect.

"I...I _think_ it's the Cullens," he said. Well, I wasn't expecting _that_! My heart shot up into my throat momentarily before dropping down into my stomache. The Cullens. Why had they returned? I thought I was done with them forever. Cady looked around the table in confusion before turning to stare up at me.

"Cullens?" she asked, eyeing me closely.

"They're a family of vampires that used to live around here," Embry answered for me. Her entire body stiffened.

"More vampires?"

"Why are they back here?" I asked, turning to Sam as if he knew the answer. He shrugged, rising to his feet.

"Let's go find out," he ordered. Quil and Leah were the first to their feet, followed my Paul and Jared, then Embry and me. Cady still sat, her eyes dark. I took her hand gently, pulling her up into a standing position.

"I won't let anything hurt you," I promised, holding her tight as we followed the pack out of the small house. Emily decided to stay behind. She wasn't as comfortable around the bloodsuckers as the rest of us. Part of me knew that I should have let Cady stay with her but thoughts of the male vampire came to mind. Better she stayed with me.

We walked across the front lawn and made our way down the street, a group of what looked to be rebellious teenagers or possibly a gang. If only they knew the truth of what we really were. What then? It took us less than five minutes to make it to the La Push boundaries. Sam led the way, walking along the territory line. The scent was definately familiar and it was coming from the forest. Of course they would be hiding in the woods. The day had been sunny and still was. They couldn't risk exposure. We trecked into the protection of the trees, keeping our eyes peeled. Cady pressed herself up against me in fear. Her head was constantly turning, wondering from which direction the danger would be coming from.

And then I saw them, two white marble creatures standing in the gloom. Sam took another step closer before pausing. The pack spread out around him, making a half-circle around the two vampires. Of course, I recognized them both. One was Edward, standing perfectly still. His face was twisted into a slight grimace. He stood, flawlessly, beside none other than Bella. She stared at me before smiling, her eyes shifting to Cady in interest. In response, Cady sank closer to me, her luminous orbs staring unblinkingly at the pair. Bella didn't hesitate to take another step towards us. Edward reached out to hold her back but she was out of his reach in one fluid movement. He sighed before mirroring her action, moving to her side. Sam moved forward as well, one stride ahead of the pack who didn't flinch. I couldn't help but to place myself and Cady beside our leader. We now stood less than two feet before the two vampires.

"Hello," Edward said with a polite smile, his golden eyes raking over Sam and me before resting on Cady. I noticed my angel was staring open mouthed at the pair. Her brows slightly furrowed in confusion.

"Hi," Bella breathed, leaning forward slightly as she said it. Cady inhaled deeply, taking in their smell. I'd forgotten how they smelled differently to humans. It put a grimace on my face for they stunk horribly to me. My nose burned.

"It's a surprise to see you around here again, Edward...Bella," Sam said, unsmiling.

"We have much to talk about," Edward replied, his eyes flicking to meet Sam's. "I understand there have been some other vampires coming around here lately."

"Yes, two of them," I told them, squeezing Cady closer to me despite the fact that she was already pressed tightly against my side.

"Well, we heard you'd killed one of them, a female," Edward said, looking only at me. Bella's eyes never left Cady. She never said a word, only stared.

"The female was in Cady's house ready to attack. We cornered her and killed her but not before her mate could escape," Sam said.

"Good move," Edward grunted with a grimace.

"What's it to you?" I spat.

"Thanks to that little stunt, the male went back to their little coven which is, in all actuality, not so little and told the others. She was kind of their leader and a pretty good one, too."

"So?"

"So, they're wanting revenge, obviously," he stated every word loud and clear, his eyebrows pulled together.

"We were protecting our pack, our land!" I exclaimed. "She had it coming"

"I'm not saying she didn't. We were passing through their village just to check things out and we heard the news. Of course, Bella's been frantic," he said, glancing at his wife. She shook her head, finally swiveling her gaze over to meet mine.

"Charlie isn't safe, now, Jake," she said, her golden eyes burning.

"There was nothing we could do. We had to act," Sam told the two of them, his voice dripping with authority. The pair of vampires stood before us, locking eyes with the two of us.

"Well, they're coming. In days," Edward replied, stressing the last part.

"So, why are you here? Don't you want to evade this sort of thing?" I asked him. He shook his head as Bella spoke up.

"I couldn' t live with myself if I knew Charlie was unknowingly so close to danger." She glared down at the dirt at her feet, thoughtful.

"We brought help," Edward added, jabbing a thumb behind him just as four more ghostly white creatures stepped out of nowhere. The pack was restless for a second, none had been paying close enough attention to notice them approaching. Out of the gloom came first the big guy. He was so easy to see that you'd have to be blind not to notice him. He strode forward, planting himself to Edward's right. Next came his stunningly beautiful mate. She floated across the ground gracefully. Her topaz eyes were filled with malice as she stared us down. She was there only for her brother and her mate. My eyes shifted to the next approaching creature. I felt his presence before I saw him. That all-too-familiar calmness that was also slightly annoying. Cady must have felt it to for I felt her muscles relax. She craned her neck to look through the dimness at the approaching creature. The blond Cullen stood behind Edward, his eyes rolling over all our faces. He paused momentarily on Cady, a look of mild surprise on his face, before continuing on to look at Quil, Embry, Paul...The litte pixie-like vampire danced forward with no hesitation. She had a knowing smile playing on her lips as she maneuvered her way to the front to stand before me. She looked up at me with those sparkling onyx eyes.

"Hello again," she said. "Long time, no see." She shifted her gaze to Cady, taking a step in her direction. I felt myself stiffen slightly.

"Hello there. I'm alice," she chirped in that light voice, sticking out her tiny hand for Cady to shake. When she did, I heard the sudden intake of breathe, not only from Cady but from myself as well. She now understood what I meant when I'd said icy cold and like marble. Alice took a step back, her smile still in place.

"You all are here to help us?" Sam asked, his brow raised. Rosalie grimaced, Emmett chuckled, Jasper sighed, Alice grinned, and Edward shrugged. Bella only stared at me.

"Well, we're kind of helping ourselves as well," Edward said. I didn't understand what he meant but I wasn't going to ask. If an army of bloodsuckers was coming to town, I wasn't going to pass up free help. The blond vampire cleared his throat loudly, taking a step forward.

"So, let's get down to business. We need to be ready," he said smoothly, gazing at Sam in determination. This was good. Now we had a chance. And we knew what was coming. What would have happened had those leeches caught us off guard? For once, I was thankful that the Cullens had shown up when they did. With Edward and Bella's mind reading, Jasper's ability to change emotions, and Alice's precognition, we were sure to have an upper hand. We even had that big guy for strength. Rosalie, the breathtaking beauty, stood back with her arms crossed. I wondered why she had even bothered to come. When I looked at Bella, I noticed she was smiling at her, a knowing expression on her face. It made me think of something..."Among other things," she had said in the meadow weeks before when I'd asked her about her ability. What else could she do? Did she have more powers that I was unaware of? She still smiled at the blond before turning back to gaze at Edward with more love than I thought humanly possible...Oh, wait...She wasn't human...and that didn't bother me anymore. I didn't care. I smiled down at Cady, confident that we would win this.

**Review Please? Do you think I'm going in the right direction?**


	11. Control

**Chapter Eleven**

**Jacob POV**

Sam came up with the idea that we all meet somewhere less crowded. It was decided that we would go to a field that we were all familiar with that was about a mile deeper into the woods. It wouldn't be too long of a trip. Cady walked silently at me side, clinging to my arm. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Bella or Edward or Jasper and so on. She walked considerably slow in comparison to the rest of us. Rosalie, the stunning beauty, kept glancing back at us impatiently. In response, I tossed Cady onto my back and moved my legs a bit faster, keeping pace with the others.

"_They_ are vampires?" Cady breathed into my ear, her arms wrapped around my neck as I carried her piggy-back through the trees. I noticed Edward's eyes flick towards Cady before bouncing back to Bella. It wasn't a second later that he was gazing ahead once more.

"Is that surprising?"

"They don't have red eyes like that women did," she replied, her voice soft. Alice chuckled, slowing her step to match ours. She had been holding Jasper's hand lovingly but somewhere in the process of nearing us, she had let go. Cady gasped at the sudden close proximity of the little creature. I rolled my eyes.

"Hi," she said, smiling sweetly, disgustingly. "My name is Alice. We haven't gotten a chance to introduce ourselves properly." It took a minute for Cady to respond, but when she did, she had difficulty, the word stuttering it's way out of her mouth.

"You don't have to fear_ us_," Alice told her, eyeing her family quickly before turning to grin at Cady once more. I wished I could see what Cady's face looked like but it wasn't physically possible for me to turn and look. Alice danced beside me, gracefully, as we made our way to the field.

"You'll be entirely safe," she promised, answering what I'm sure was Cady's facial expression.

"Can't you just...predict...or whatever it is that you do...the outcome of all this?" I grumbled, glancing at her briefly. Her response was a vicious glare, her lips pulled pack over her glistening white teeth.

"I can't _see_ anything if _you're_ in her future," she spat. It brought a slight smile to my lips. At least I was sure Cady would be in my future. That sounded nice. Cady tightened her grip around my neck after seeing Alice's angry face.

"Easy, Alice. You're scaring her," Bella said quietly, not turning to look at her friend. The pixie-like vampire sighed before reluctantly smiling.

"I'm sorry, wolf. It is very frustrating not being able to see the future as clearly as I should."

"You...You can see the future?" Cady suddenly asked, her voice dripping with curiosity. Alice's smile widened, her eyes bright as she looked up us.

"Sure. Jasper can shift emotions," she chirped, pointing to her blond mate. He gave a quick glance our way before turning back to continue his treck. "Edward and Bella can hear thoughts...of course, that's not all Bella can do." Rosalie hissed loudly, her topaz eyes meeting Alice's, burning like fire.

"You shouldn't discuss such things with _them_," she spat from behind Emmett. She glared at me for a second.

"They'll find out anyway," Alice remarked, sticking her tongue out at her sister. Bella, who had been walking in the arms of her beloved, turned to gaze back at Cady, Alice and I. She stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable.

"I suppose I can show them when we get there," she said quietly, the corners of her lips pulling in slightly before she turned back to Edward. Alice giggled, eyeing Cady once more.

We didn't talk much more throughout the remainder of the trip. It only took about ten minutes to make it to the field. The sun had obscured itself behind the clouds, leaving the clearing looking dim and dreary. I wondered if it was going to rain. Edward heard my thoughts and asked my unspoken questions.

"Will it rain, Alice?"

"Not until after nightfall," she announced, looking up at the sky. The pack spread out in the clearing, taking their seats in random spots. I noticed Edward and Bella sink down into the grass together, then Emmett and Rosalie. Alice stayed next to Cady and me. Jasper remained standing, preparing to make a speech.

"Okay, so, I guess we should start from the beginning. For the past few weeks, we've been living in a small town up north in Canada. It's a lot like Forks except there are more of our kind residing there. The leader of the entire town, the entire coven is a female named Adrian. She and her partner, a male by the name of Connor, are the ones everyone goes to for guidance. They are something of a hero to the people there. This coven isn't like us. They have different...eating...habits. You know, they fed on humans.

"Well, Adrian and Connor always go hunting together. One day Edward heard through someone's mind that the pair had grown a liking to hunting here in Forks. Of course, Bella was frantic. We decided we would go and ask them to hunt elsewhere for Charlie's sake but when we made it into town, Connor was returning alone. He screamed to his people that an enemy had slaughtered their leader. Of course, the entire coven went crazy with anger. You should have seen their reactions when Connor mentioned 'werewolves'.

"We knew it was time to act so we fled the town, running here to warn you. Carlisle and Esme will be arriving tomorrow. They insisted on staying behind to find out anything new on the situation."

"How many will come?" Sam asked roughly.

"More than last time," Jasper replied. "I'm thinking thirty to forty." The pack shifted restlessly, taking in the news.

"We have an advantage," Seth said. "We know they are coming so we'll be prepared. We can take them easily. We have the entire pack plus all of you." He gazed at the group of vampires seated around the clearing. Emmett raised an eyebrow.

"We also have Bella," he said with a grin. Dozens of eyes shifted to gaze at the newly born vampire. She had her eyes down, gazing at her hands in her lap. Edward had an arm around her shoulders.

"What makes her so special?" Leah demanded, her brow furrowed.

"Why doesn't she show you," Alice replied. I looked over at Bella again. She lifted her eyes to meet Edward's. He didn't seem pleased to have her here in danger and yet he wasn't going to stop her from staying. I wondered why. In one swift movement, she was on her feet, walking to the middle of the clearing. She looked around at us all.

"Okay," she said in a quiet, sweet voice. "Can I have a volunteer?" Nobody moved, only stared at her as if she were crazy. Curiosity got the better of me. I was just so eager to find out what she could do.

"I'll do it," I said. Cady gasped, turning to squeeze my hand. I smiled at her and got to my feet. It probably wouldn't be too bad. What was the worste she could do. Cady released my hand reluctantly, allowing me to move to the center of the small field. Bella never took her eyes off of me.

"So, uh..What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Attack me."

"Attack you?" I repeated, my forehead creasing. Maybe this wasn' t such a good idea. I couldn't picture myself lunging at her with the intentions to kill. I took a step back. "I don't think--"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Jake. Attack me," she snapped, sinking into a crouch. "And you'd better mean it." I let out a sigh of reluctance before phasing, tossing my clothes to the side in the process. Once in wolf form, I sank low to the ground, ready to pounce. Low growls escaped my mouth as I barred my teeth. Bella remained in her crouch, her lips pulled back to expose her ultra white, shining teeth as well. Her nose wrinkled gently as she stepped to her right and then her left, me mimicking each move. She seemed to notice my reluctance to take a step forward and voiced it.

"Damn it, Jacob Black. Attack me. I know you want to. I can hear it in that furry head of yours. _Attack me_!" she nearly screamed. Without further notice, I bounded towards her, closing the gap between us in seconds. I reached out to grab her but my arms closed on nothing but air. I spun around to find her standing behind me. Man, she was fast. I hadn't even seen her move. I dove for her again but this time, she remained where she stood, straightening up, a peculiar expression on her face.

Suddenly, I didn' t know what I was doing. My feet weren't doing what I was telling them to do. I was telling them to move fast, the better for me to attack, but they slowed down to a walk, a slow walk at that. My growls died down to low whimpers of confusion. What the hell was going on? And then I heard her in my head, her sweet voice echoing through my skull.

"_I've got you now. I've taken control of your mind. Just _try_ and touch me_," she whispered, though when I looked at her, her lips remained still. Her words echoed through my mind. She still had that peculiar expression on her face as she stepped closer to me, closing the gap between us. I tried again to lunge at her but all I could do was watch her approach. My growls became louder, more ravenous as she stopped less than a foot away from me. Spit oozed from my teeth, my hair standing up on the back of my neck. I wanted to reach out and inflict some damage yet all I could do was stare at her. She reached for me with one white hand and touched my furry cheek gently, a triumphant smile on her lips.

"I want you to try to hurt me, to try and kill me. Try it," she said loud enough for the others to hear, taking one small step back. I put all my attention into lifting my right front leg to claw at her but I couldn't do it. Instead, I was somehow lowering myself down on the dirt, resting my head on my paws. All the while, loud snarls were escaping my lips. Around us, Leah and Seth were on their feet craning their necks to get a better view. There was a loud pop and Seth was running for Bella instinctively. She didn't even have to turn away from me to make him stop. She simply raised a hand in his direction. Instead of plowing through her, Seth stopped, whimpering at the same time, and did a cartwheel. It was a strange image to see, a wolf doing a cartwheel. Quil and Embry laughed loudly.

"She can manipulate their actions?" Sam guessed from his seat near Jasper. Jasper shook his head smoothly.

"She can control any part of them that she wishes. She can manipulate their thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, anything." Bella released me from whatever she had done to bind me and I was left panting in the dirt, my fur matted with sweat.

"That _is_ helpful," Sam replied, eyeing Bella approvingly, almost admiringly. She smiled shyly, gazing around the clearing. Slightly annoyed, I angrily snatched my jeans and phased back, shoving them on in mid-process. Seth seemed a little harassed as well.

"I hope you're not too angry," Bella said as I walked passed her. I was still out of breathe, sweat dripping from my face. She gazed at me quickly and I suddenly felt a feeling of happiness roll over me. Pure happiness. I laughed abruptly, grinning at her stupidly. She giggled guiltily. And then the feeling went away and I was annoyed again but not as badly as before. "I couldn't resist," she added, going back to sit with Edward. He squeezed her tight. I went to Cady and dropped to the dirt, exhausted, beside her. She looked worried.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, carefully touching my moist shoulder. I shook my head.

"No but it's tiring. I feel like I could sleep for days now," I said.

"You shouldn't have fought so hard," Bella said, not even looking at me. She was cuddled up in Edward's arms. Cady turned to stare at her.

"You said to attack you. I heard you in my head, taunting me, but I couldn't even raise a finger. It was enfuriating. Of course, I fought hard. I wanted to win," I spat, angry again. She shrugged her dainty shoulders, still not looking at me.

"I told you weeks ago that you couldn't kill me. You should have listened," she said with a laugh.

"Whatever."

"Well, that certainly changes things. How many people can she do this to at once?" Sam asked.

"We're still experimenting," Edward replied, rubbing Bella's arm gently.

"That _certainly_ changes things," Sam repeated, thoughtfully. He sounded confident, a new light shining in his eye. This was going to be a piece of cake. If the vampires wanted to come and fight, let them come. We wouldn't back down. We wouldn't let them win. With Bella on our side, we couldn't possibly lose.


	12. The Clearing

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Jacob POV

Jasper was certain that Connor's coven would be arriving by Saturday night. That gave us two days to prepare. My first priority was to get Cady as far from the scene of the attack as possible. She was being unnecessarily stubborn about it.

"But I want to be there when they come. I want to see," she told me Thursday morning when I drove her to the field to meet with the Cullens once again.

"That is out of the question," I replied sharply. Was she insane? There was no way in hell that I would let that happen.

"Why?"

"Because it's too dangerous. If one vampire got away, got too close..." I shuttered at the thought, my eyes staring straight ahead as I drove on. Cady pouted in her seat, her arms crossed, her delicate eyebrows pulled together slightly. It put a smile on my lips.

"Where are you going to force me to stay then?"

"I don't know yet. I think I'll have Leah keep guard of your house. You can stay there." Cady scowled, staring out her window and no longer interested in the conversation.

Of course, Leah was in an uproar when I told her the news.

"What! I'm not staying behind!" she nearly screamed at me in the middle of the clearing. Sam stood to my right, taking my side on the matter. "Sam, you can't possibly agree with him."

"I think we'll be set here. Listen in. If we need your help, we'll call for you," he told her.

"Are you kidding me?" she hissed, her teeth barred.

"Leah," Sam started. "Please don't make this difficult." What happened next went so quickly, I wasn't sure it had happened at all. Leah glared at me with eyes that could kill. Faster than light, it seemed, her thin arm swung back before jerking forward, her small fist crushing into my jaw. My head spun to the side with the impact, my mouth aching. In fact, because the action had been so swift, the pain was the only real hint that it had happened. I cradled my chin in my hand, massaging it back to health. By the time the pain ceased, Leah was storming away into the woods.

Cady sat on a rock, watching Leah leave. Her knees were pulled up to her chin and she had her arms wrapped around them. I grinned at her. She rolled her eyes. There was no way her stubborn pouting (which I found exclusively cute) was going to change my mind. Cady would be nowhere near the fight. That was final.

Emmett and Alice were the only two who didn't seem phased by the thought of what was to come. The two stood to the side of the clearing tossing a ball to one another. My quick eyes could see it was a baseball. After catching the ball again, Emmett threw it so hard that Alice had to sprint across the entire field to catch it. Cady goggled at the remarkable speed, her perfect lips parted in a small "o". Stupid vampire showoffs.

Carlisle and Esme had arrived. They hadn't heard anything new. Connor will follow his plans to arrive Saturday night. The doctor stood with his wife, talking with Edward. Their heads were close together, their words too quick and too quiet for me to hear them. I looked over at Bella, alone in a little ball, sitting against a giant tree. If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought she looked weak, vulnerable…scared. Of course, she probably _was_ scared. Her first big fight. With her powers, she had nothing to fear. She must have heard my thoughts, because her golden eyes swiveled over to meet mine. I grinned enthusiastically. Her returning smile was nowhere near as believing as mine…and I had to worry about Cady. Jasper sat comfortably with half the pack, discussing tactics. They were actually laughing together. Maybe this whole truce thing was getting easier. Maybe friendship wasn't such a disturbing thought…Wait. What was I saying?

Rosalie stared at her brother with the same expression of shock that I held. We made eye contact. She glared. My expression relaxed. How alike we were—and yet so entirely different. I watched her turn away from me and join Emmett and Alice halfheartedly before deciding I should go try to lighten Cady's sour mood.

When I plopped down beside her, she grumbled to herself. She didn't even realize how endearing she looked when she was mad. The skin between her eyebrows folded gently as her brows furrowed. Even her lips were twisted into a small pout. I fought back the urge to laugh. It was, clearly, not a good time for humor.

"You're going to thank me for this," I said quietly, not turning to look at her. She let out a huff, glaring off at nothing.

"Okay, well if you don't thank me…You'll forgive me for this. I know you will."

She snorted. Okay, forget trying to change her mind. She was set…but so was I. There was no hope in arguing. We sat in silence, watching Alice and Emmett toss the ball back and forth. Every now and then one of the two would disappear, only to return seconds later with the ball in hand. Cady stared.

"They are so fast," she breathed, perhaps more to herself than to me. I responded anyway.

"I could run that fast you know." No, I wasn't jealous…So don't suggest it. I was simply stating a fact.

"Really? Will you show me?" she asked, turning to finally look at me.

"Right now? Sure," I replied, jumping to my feet. Anything to keep her happy. She slid down from the rock, an intrigued smile on her lips. Taking her hand in mine, I pulled her to me before swinging her onto my back. Bella watched us from her place by the tree. Smiling again, I turned for the woods, Cady clinging to me closely.

Under the protection of the trees, I easily shed my jeans as I morphed, Cady never leaving her place on my back. The sudden change in form never failed to surprise her. I heard her sharp intake of breath as fur sprouted beneath her fingers. Without hesitation, I bolted. Cady's piercing scream was left behind in a whoosh. Her death grip around my neck tightened, her legs pinned around my waist. I suppose it had to feel a bit jostling. How would it feel riding on the back of a giant dog? We circled the large field three times in less than a minute. When I stopped, I noticed Cady's grip was still just as tight. With a little whimper, I pushed my cheek against her arm, breaking the grip easily. She slid off of my back and to the ground, her eyes still wide with shock.

_Do you do that with all the girls you take on dates? Scare them stiff? _Leah stalked by, the fur on her back bristling. She snarled at me menacingly before trekking back into the clearing. Rolling my eyes, I stooped down to Cady's level. This meant I had to lie down. There was no reaction in her face. It was frozen. Inching closer, I proceeded to lick her face from jaw to hairline. A few strands of hair stuck up on her head. She grimaced before laughing loudly.

By the time we re-entered the clearing, I was back in human form. Cady staggered beside me, her thoughts still a bit jumbled. After she nearly fell for the third time, I lifted her gently and carried her to her rock. We rested there for a minute, thoughtful.

"I told you I could go fast," I remarked. She simply grumbled. She looked either ready to hurl or on the verge of hysterical laughter. I was hoping for option number two. My hopes came true. She snorted back her fits of hilarity, her face buried in her hands. Her entire body shook with the effort. I found myself chuckling along with her. It took me several minutes to notice someone was standing over me. When I looked up to see Bella gazing down at me, my laughter got stuck somewhere in my throat. I tried to swallow it down. The effort was surprisingly difficult. I had to cough instead. Cady noticed where my attention had gone and silenced her self.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked, eyeing the two of us closely.

"No, of course not," I replied, gesturing for her to sit. She obeyed with stealth, her slender legs folded beneath her neatly. Cady inconspicuously inched herself closer to the two of us, inquisitive yet again. Bella's eyes shifted to meet hers, a wide smile forming on her lips. She suddenly extended a hand and placed it in between Cady's. My angel appeared shocked at first but curiosity got the better of her and she was soon holding the hand closely, running her fingers over the cool, stone surface.

"So, how is this life working out for you?" I asked. Bella turned to look at me but her hand remained in Cady's grasp.

"What do you mean by that, Jacob?" She knew damn well what I meant. She could hear my thoughts, after all. I answered anyway.

"Are you happy? Is it everything you had hoped it would be?"

She turned to glance at Edward across the clearing. He still stood with the doctor but was watching out of the corner of his eye. Bella smiled to herself.

"I am always happy with him, Jake. I don't care what I am, as long as I can be with him forever," she said, her golden eyes bright with bliss. I grinned wholeheartedly.

"I'm glad."

"You haven't introduced me to your girlfriend," she breathed. I thought I saw her wink before Cady perked up.

"I'm Cady," my angel said eagerly. She appeared to be on the verge of an aneurism. I smiled to myself.

"My name is Bella."

"Be careful what you think around her, Cades. She can hear it all," I told her. In response, her eyes widened.

"You can hear thoughts? Jacob can do that, too, when he is in wolf form."

"The girl's done some research," Bella laughed before turning to look at her husband again. She clearly didn't enjoy being away from him. I knew that all too well. As if she had called his name, he was suddenly seated by her side, across from Cady. Bella's hand slid easily out of her grip and into Edward's. There were no words exchanged between her husband and me, only a nod. Cady did all the talking.

"So, you can hear what I'm thinking right now?" Cady asked, excited. Bella nodded her head.

"Yes. You're thinking about your grandfather, your house, Jacob…" My heart did a little flutter at the last part. How invigorating. Edward raised a brow before glancing at Bella questioningly. After a quick glance from his wife, he seemed to understand. It made me wonder how Edward could hear what Bella could think. I distinctly remember Bella telling me he couldn't hear her. I said this.

"Oh," Bella replied, looking at Edward as if to ask his permission. He shrugged his shoulders lazily.

"She enters my mind much like she did yours the other night and talks to me. It's very convenient when she needs to tell me something." He was quiet a minute before looking at Cady with those topaz eyes of his. She smiled feebly, entwining her fingers in mine. I was too ecstatic to realize Edward had started talking. It took me a minute to hear him.

"…have red eyes because they are evil, murderers, the bad guys, I guess you could say. We are not hunters of the human race. We feed, if I may be so blunt, on animals. Therefore, our eye color is different than theirs," he told her. Cady pressed her lips together before looking at me. Questions burned in her eyes. The three of us sighed at the same time, it seemed. For the next hour or two, we answered all her questions about myths or tales. She had seen one to many scary movies. I laughed for most of the conversation. Eventually, the sun behind the thick clouds began to fade, plunging the field into darkness.

We were so into our conversation, that it took me a while to realize Cady had fallen asleep in my arms. My surprised expression put a smile on Bella's and even Edward's face. Together, they rose to their feet, watching me cradle Cady in my arms before standing as well. Bella removed her sweater and draped the icy clothe over Cady's shoulders.

"She loves you, you know," Bella said softly. "I can hear it in her head. She doesn't like to be away from you. Kind of like how I feel when Edward goes away. You are right for each other."

That surprised me. It took a lot of effort to nod my head. She loved me. That alone put enough fire in my chest to fly me to the moon. I hugged Cady closer to my chest to warm her before turning towards the woods, leaving them all behind. She was sleeping peacefully, her perfect lips turned up in a tiny smile of contentment. I ran with her in my arms. It was much gentler this way, a lot less bumpy. She didn't wake.

The cabin was silent. Her grandfather had already passed out for the night, not even bothering to check and see where his granddaughter was. Just one more reason for me to worry about her. She had nobody but me to look after her. She needed me. And I knew all to well how much I needed her. I lowered her down onto her soft mattress before covering her with a thick feather-down blanket. There was no worry in her expression nor was there fear. She was relaxed. I turned her radio on quiet, remembering her fear of silence.

I didn't want to leave her. Would she freak if she woke to me sitting beside her? Would she freak if she woke to find me gone? I stood in the middle of the room, undecided when I heard the springs in her bed groan slightly.

"Jacob?" she whispered sleepily, her shivering arms outstretched. "I'm cold." In less than one step I was by her bed, gazing down at her. Her small hand tugged at my wrist feebly, too tired for any real strength. Ever so gently, I eased my way under the covers with her. Her icy toes wriggled between my feet, shocking my too warm skin. She pressed herself up as close to me as she could, stifling a yawn. Immediately, her shivers ceased.

"Sleep," I breathed in her ear, kissing the soft lobe. In minutes, she was out like a light. It took me a lot longer to fall asleep. I wanted to watch her for the entire night. Every facial expression set my heart into a fit. Finally, when I realized looking at her wasn't helping, I closed my eyes. Pressing my nose against her hair, I inhaled the flowery scent of her shampoo. That was a scent I would never forget. Never. And with that, I drifted into unconsciousness.


	13. The Good and The Bad

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Jacob POV

The sounds of classical music floated through my ears. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not. I fought to keep myself submerged in unconsciousness but the music was growing louder. It took me a few seconds to wake entirely. I opened my eyes reluctantly. What I saw shocked me. The room was brightly lit and unfamiliar to my tired eyes. I gasped.

"Whoa," I yelled, attempting to yank off the blankets that surrounded me. As a result, I got tangled in the comforter and fell to the floor, taking out the nightstand along with me. The classical music came to an abrupt end as my forehead smacked the floor. What the hell was going on?

Suddenly I felt two hands grasp my arms and try to pull me around unsuccessfully. Who the hell is touching me? I turned, shock still etched across my face. It was Cady. She gazed down at me with worry in her angelic eyes. Memories of the night before flood my head. How could I have forgotten? I let my relax, slowly untangling myself from the blankets.

"Are you okay?" Cady asked, still staring at me worriedly. She had her long dark hair hanging loosely around her face. She was already dressed. I noticed she had a pair of hiking boots in one of her hands that she tried to hide. It was then that I noticed she had on multiple sweaters, long johns, old jeans, and two pairs of socks. My brow furrowed at the sight.

"Where are you going?" I replied, ignoring her question. She turned away from me and plopped down on her bed, unlacing one of her boots.

"I'm going to the clearing with you. I want to be there."

"No, you're not. Leah is staying here with you."

"She hates me. She doesn't want to stay here, either." Cady stared at me for a few seconds, her luminous eyes pleading. I shook my head.

"She doesn't hate you. Leah will be here to protect you or to keep an eye on you if you should try anything stupid," I added, glaring at her. It was not a very strong glare. How could I even try to look at her in such a way? Her piercing stare was much more menacing, I'm sure.

"Why can't I go?"

"We've already gone through this. It's just too dangerous. Can't you just listen to me? You know that those leeches can inflict more damage than you can believe in the time it takes you to blink an eye." She crossed her arms, pouting. I went to her, then, and wrapped my arms around her. "Trust me, please, Cady. Trust me."

"But how do I know…How do I know that you will come back? If those vampires cause as much damage as you say they do, how do I know that they won't hurt you?"

"You've never seen me in action. There is nothing to fear. I'll be running back to you before you even have time to worry," I soothed, squeezing her close to me.

"But I'm _already _worried," she whispered, tilting her head back to gaze up at me. There was a single, sparkling tear rolling down her cheek. I raised my hand to brush it away gently, cupping her head in my hands.

"There is nothing for you to fear, Cady, my love," I breathed softly. She gazed up at me, her eyes wide before nodding. Slowly, steadily, I lowered my face to hers, lightly pressing my lips against hers. We kissed once before I was pulling back. She wasn't having that. She eagerly lifted herself to push her mouth against mine again. This time it was longer, more passionate. I had a hard time keeping my heartbeat even. After all, this was something I'd been dreaming of. It was much better in real life. My dreams were childish and, in all honesty, boring compared to this. I never wanted it to end. But, all too soon, she was pulling away.

I was faintly aware of a sharp tapping noise behind me but my thoughts were clouded. As I wiped away the last of Cady's tears the noise got louder. I tore my eyes from hers and looked around. Someone was standing just outside the window. It was Leah. She waved for me to come to her. When I opened the glass frame, she didn't hesitate to speak.

"The little leech says the coven is on its way. Sam wants you back in the clearing," she said roughly. I could tell she was trying her hardest not to lose control. Poor Leah. This was exactly what she had meant about feeling like the weakest link. She was being left behind and she knew it. However, it meant a great deal to me for her to stay with Cady, whether she realized this or not.

I turned to look back at Cady. She was standing beside her bed, her fingers twisting together and her face full of fear. She really had nothing to worry about. I smiled enthusiastically.

"Let the games begin," I remarked, moving towards her to wrap my arms around her once more. "I love you, Cady. I promise to come back to you in one piece as long as you don't try anything stupid while I'm gone." She nodded glumly, her bottom lip trembling. I kissed her on her forehead before backing away from her. Leah stood back to give me room as I jumped out of the window. She wore nothing more than her usual beat up oversized t-shirt. I turned back to look through the open frame at Cady. She strode forward, her shaking hands grasping the ledge. Smiling once more, I started to jog away towards the forest edge.

"Jacob," Cady called from the window. Her angelic voice quivered. "I love you, too." Her words put an extra bounce in my step. I waved before disappearing into the woods. Leah was at my side in seconds as I pulled off my jeans. She had her arms crossed.

"I really appreciate you doing this for me, Leah."

She grimaced, looking away from me. "It's the least I could do…literally," she spat, rolling her eyes.

"You're doing more for me than you give yourself credit for. I'll owe you for a lifetime." I folded up my jeans and strapped them to my leg. Smiling once before morphing right there in front of her. She gazed at me angrily for a moment before nodding.

"You'll owe me for eternity," she muttered. I barked out a laugh, turning to walk away. There was a faint pop behind me as Leah phased as well, though she walked towards the house instead.

The entire pack (apart from Leah), the Cullens, and the two Hales were standing, ready in the clearing. Everyone was antsy, constantly shifting their weight from one foot to the other. Edward had his arms wrapped around Bella. She was smiling to herself. Mostly everyone was standing together in a bunch apart from me and the beautiful vampire, Rosalie. I moved to stand beside her, already back in human form and dressed. She didn't look at me.

"Worried?" I guessed. She grimaced, not turning to gaze at me once, and stalked away from me. Emmett caught sight of her and hurried to her side. A few seconds of playful coaxing and he had her smiling. Rolling my eyes, I went to join the bunch. In the very center of the group, Alice stood, her eyes open but unfocused. She had a peculiar expression on her face. Jasper, her mate, held her hand lightly. Everyone seemed to be paying close attention to the pixie-like creature.

"They've already started their journey. They will be arriving in less than an hour," she said, her expression changing and her eyes refocusing. "They will come through there." She pointed in the direction from which we should expect them.

"Do they know we are here with the wolves?" Carlisle asked.

"No."

"Let them come. We are ready for them," Emmett remarked, a grin flashing across his face. I notice Edward roll his eyes in annoyance. The pack broke away from the crowd, preparing to phase into wolf form. They were coming. There was no turning back now.

We lined up in a half circle throughout the clearing. Esme stood back, piling up sticks to light a fire. When her pile was neatly stacked, she dug into her pocket for a lighter. She held it ready in her hands, waiting for the precise moment. The air was electric, static. Everyone was just as anxious as the next, if not more.

Alice had her head down, her eyes closed. Her mate stood less than two feet to her right, eyeing the forest carefully. Edward and Bella stood on his other side, holding hands. They were gazing at each other, most likely having an in depth conversation without ever uttering a word. Paul and Jared crouched beside them with Emmett and Rosalie to their right. I looked to my left and saw Carlisle standing beside me casually. Seth, Sam, Quil, and Embry were lined up on his other side. Anxiously, I dug my claws into the damp earth.

"They are near," Alice finally murmured after what felt like ages. Bella suddenly strode forward with a final glance at Edward. He nodded, reluctantly releasing her small hand. I watched in confusion. The wind picked up speed, it seemed, as Bella walked into the middle of the clearing. She was facing us, her back to the woods. Was she insane? The wind whipped her long hair around her face. She had her head down, her eyes closed, breathing deeply. I almost took a step in her direction curiously but the fresh scent of vampires filled my nose. They were close and Bella wasn't moving.

I looked at Edward. His face was twisted in anxiety. Though he tried to compose his features, it was blatantly obvious that he worried for his loved one. His hands were clenched into fists, his eyes a flat black. The skin in his forehead was creased. I shook my head, shifting my gaze to the forest edge just in time to see a single creature step into the clearing. At the sound of his footsteps, Bella turned curiously to look at him.

It was the magenta haired vampire, Connor. He eyed the group curiously. I noticed his vivid red eyes pause on Edward and then on Carlisle.

"Carlisle," he breathed, his voice had a thick accent that was unfamiliar to me. It was almost impossible to understand what he was saying. "I see you have found the werewolves already. It is nice to have a couple extra hands, not that we need it, eh, Carlisle?"

Edward scoffed.

"I think you are mistaken, Connor," Carlisle said. "I am sorry but we can't let you pass through here." Connor's expression shifted to acute anger. His eyes burned beneath his dark brow.

"But, surely you know," he breathed, his gaze flicking towards Edward. "Surely, you know that I am not here just passing though. You see, a dear friend of mine, a leader to many has been slaughtered in these woods. And I, nor my people, will let something like that slide. So, Doctor, you must know that I come here to give these mongrels what they deserve: death." Seth let out a deep growl, only to have Sam snap at him angrily. The field was silent again.

Edward laughed softly, his eyes burning. "I'm sorry to tell you that we can't let that happen, Connor. You see, you are endangering innocent people, friends of ours. And, you know very well that your mate deserved her fate. And if you don't leave now, the same will happen to you…and your friends." Connor's lips pulled back over his teeth as he sank into a crouch. Bella stood less than ten feet from the vampire, a detail that Edward did not miss. The pack's growls grew louder, ringing through the night.

Suddenly, dozens of vampires stepped into the clearing. There had to be over thirty of them. In fact, I would have said there were almost forty leeches bordering the field. Each and every one of them stared at us, vicious snarls escaping their lips. To my surprise, Bella laughed quietly at them. A large male who had been crouching to Connor's left took a quick step towards her, his teeth barred.

Several things happened at once.

A piercing roar escaped from Edward, his eyes on fire. He was crashing into the male before he could take another step. Connor swiftly, easily, slipped backwards into the darkness behind his friends. The flick of Esme's lighter could be heard before a giant fire erupted behind us. Edward tore the head from the male vampire's body before any of the enemy could make a move. It took a second before any of them could realize what had happened. With sudden realization, the crowd erupted in angry snarls.

However, as they each took their first steps toward the pack and the Cullens, Bella's thin arms flung out as if to tell them to stop. The mob came to a screeching halt, their pale faces contorted in surprise. Edward took no time in attacking the frozen creatures. Some of the vampires weren't affected as much as others. These select few came running around the clearing, aiming towards Bella who stood with her eyes closed. She would not see them coming. At the same time Emmett and I bounded forward, warding off the approaching enemy. As if this was their cue to attack, the pack leapt into action, the Cullens doing the same.

More and more of the enemy-vampires were shaking off Bella's hold on them. They ran to engage in combat with one of our group. I moved as quickly as I could, taking down as many leeches as physically possible. The fire raged as it was constantly fed more to burn. Another couple of vampires ran toward Bella but Edward and I stopped them before it was too late. Those leeches who were frozen in place stared around in anger, unable to move. Bella groaned under the pressure, leaning forward slightly. Her feet were set wide apart, braced. She still had her eyes squeezed tight, her lips pulled back to expose her ultra white teeth. Her groans were growing louder in frustration.

Worry etched in Edward's eyes and he moved faster. Half the enemy was already destroyed. Esme ran around behind us tossing bits and pieces into the furious fire. I saw Seth perform an excellent attack on two leeches at the same time. There was no time to appraise him because Bella was beginning to scream. She sounded as if she were in ruthless pain.

"Bella, let them go!" Edward shrieked his eyes wide. He spun to tear a limb off of another vampire. Bella, however, could not hear him. She twisted and writhed, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. The wild wind had her hair dancing around frantically. Edward yelled to her again. "Let them go! We can handle them!"

He was desperate. He wanted to go to her but there were too many of the enemy-vampires in between them.

Suddenly, Bella hunched over, her screams pausing. She was gasping for air, her hands clutching the sides of her head. The enemy was still frozen, eyeing us with livid eyes. As my claws sank into one of the enemy-leeches, I wanted to run to Bella to make sure she was alright but I couldn't. In fact, I couldn't do anything. Horrified, I let out an angry growl. The Cullens were frozen as well, their faces contorted in shock.

"No," Jasper howled, frozen in mid-fight. The vampires slowly realized that they were able to move. As soon as this clicked, they darted forward.

"Bella!" Alice screamed. "Bella, stop! She had her arm raised, ready to tear through an angry vampire. It hung there lifelessly. The pack was growling viciously, their teeth dripping. I snarled again.

"Focus, Bella. Focus," Edward was yelling from his place. The enemy still approached. Emmett roared as one of them neared his mate, Rosalie. She glared at the creature, her body motionless. Alice let out a final plea for help before the coven closed in.

Abruptly, my razor sharp claws finished what they had started, ripping through the leech's chest. Alice's arm came down in a flash, tearing the head from another vampire. Jasper and Edward continued their fight and Emmett tore through the crowd toward his mate. Rosalie, however, needed no help. She swiftly reached up and snapped the neck of her attacker before tearing out his limbs. All the while, Bella's screams rang through the air. As I went to finish off another bloodsucker, I saw her crumple, falling to the ground, motionless. Edward saw this, too, for he put more momentum in his fight.

It didn't take long to finish off the rest of the coven. The fire blazed with the constant feeding. I didn't hesitate to toss anything in but attacked anything that was in reach. Esme and Alice ran around, gathering up loose limbs and other organs when there was no one left to fight. Edward beheaded the last of our enemy swiftly with his teeth. The body dropped to the earth with a dull thud. I saw Edward and Carlisle dash over to Bella's lifeless body. Running to stand over them, I watched them attempt to revive her.

Her eyes were closed lightly, her lids a light shade of purple. Edward touched her face gently, his eyes wide with worry. Carlisle did what he could to bring her back. Suddenly, I think to everyone's shock, her eyes opened and they were not the color they had been but a bright, vivid, blood red. She snapped her teeth at me, at Carlisle and Edward who were sitting above her. Simultaneously, the two Cullens placed their hands on her shoulders to hold her down.

"No, Bella, no, no," Edward cried, his voice broken. "Remember who you are, Bella. Remember!" She fought against her restraints, her glistening teeth snapping inches from their faces. Carlisle stared at her, bewildered. Edward's face was contorted in agony.

"This is not you, Bella. You are not bad. You are good. I love you, Bella. Come back to me," he pleaded. A whimper escaped my furry lips as I crouched over her in my wolf form. She glared at me repulsively. "Carlisle," Edward pleaded. His father merely shook his head, disorientated. He knew just as much as Edward did about what was going on. Bella howled in fury, her fiery eyes wide. She continued to fight against their grip.

"Remember who you are, Bella, please," Edward sobbed, though no tears escaped his eyes. "Bella, my love, remember me. I love you. Please." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Her jaw was clenched as she tried to relax, her hands balled into fists. The rest of the Cullens had come to see and were staring, wide-eyed at their newly added member. Alice had her small hand covering her mouth.

"Edward!" Bella screamed, twisting and shrieking in agony. She opened her blood-red eyes again, searching. When she found him, her brow furrowed, her forehead creased. She stared at him before another wave of terror shot through her and she was writhing in pain once more. She squeezed her eyes shut again, her entire body fighting the torture.

Finally, she relaxed, though her breathing remained quick, unsteady. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with each breathe she took. Her arms shuddered, her hands trembling. When she opened her eyes slowly, I was relieved to find them back to their normal butterscotch tone. She looked around, worried. As she gazed at Edward, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Edward," she whispered. He smiled, still shocked.

"Thank God," he breathed, kissing her all over. When he finally let her sit up, I noticed him gazing down at Bella's arms, her wrists, her bare legs. I looked closer, noticing thousands of blue veins beneath her skin bulging under the surface. As we watched, the throbbing veins faded and they steadily disappeared.

Suddenly, to my and Edward's shock, Bella froze, her eyes out of focus. Edward grasped her hands quickly; worried she would repeat what she had just gone through. I was still baffled as to what had happened. When her eyes came back into focus, Bella turned frantically, searching for me. As her eyes met mine, she stared at me in horror.

Jacob," she whispered. "Cady…"

My heart stopped. I suddenly remembered Connor disappearing into the crowd. He hadn't returned. I'd not seen one Cullen defeat the leader nor felt any of the pack attack him. Terror shot through my body as I spun, without thinking, and ran headlong into the woods in the direction of Cady's house before any of the pack could notice. Driven by fear, guided by love, there was no way I could fail. Connor would die—tonight.


	14. No Sweat

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Jacob POV

I could hear Leah's snarls before I made it into Cady's small backyard. The burning scent of the leech stung my nostrils like acid. I bounded out of the forest just as a piercing yelp escaped Leah's mouth. She dropped to the ground, twenty feet from where I stood. Connor inched towards her broken body.

"Jacob!" Cady screamed in horrified surprise. She was standing by the house, her back pressed up against the wood siding. I growled a low rumble as Connor turned to look at me with curious eyes. My crouch sank lower, readying for the lunge. The leech smiled, his sparkling sharp teeth flashing menacingly. He took a side step in Cady's direction, threatening me to come closer. She stared at the creature, her luminous eyes wide. Leah whimpered in pain, unmoving on the edge of the lawn.

For a split second, Connor was distracted by Leah's moans. That was all I needed. As he glanced at the broken werewolf, I lunged forward, sinking my teeth into his icy shoulder. He howled in fury as I took a chunk of meat with me. Screams filled the air as Cady cringed away from the action. Connor wasted no time in nursing his wound. He moved with lightening speed, jumping around me like a mad-man. My quick reflexes saved me from any real damage. I dodged most of his punches, slicing his arms, his legs with my claws. Cady screamed when Connor's fist flew down on my shoulder, leaving a twitching dent behind. Lucky for me, I was able to grip his wrist with my teeth and tear the hand from his arm. He howled in agony, backing off. Taking this time to allow a little recovery, I limped back and forth, always staying between Cady and the bloodsucker.

He lunged at my again, his eyes fiery red, burning. My reaction was quick, but the sudden movement caused me my balance. I stumbled in my pounce, tripping over my own feet. Connor's steel-arms wrapped around me, crushing my chest. Cady screamed once more, taking a step towards me instinctively. I roared ravenously. Understanding my meaning, she pressed herself against the house once more, her hand over her mouth. Conner's grip tightened and I felt a few ribs snap. My screaming growls were deafening as the pain seared through me. It was almost impossible to hear, but Cady was now sobbing against the cabin, tears streaming from her eyes.

I twisted and fought to free myself but the leeches grip was vice-like. There was no escaping it.

"You will watch your lover die," Connor snarled at Cady. She shook her head wildly, her arms outstretched in front of her.

"No, please," she cried, taking a step towards her. I growled at her again, my snarls breaking with the emotion I put in my cries. _Get away_, I screamed in my head, pleading for her to understand. She sobbed again, her entire body shaking as she backed herself up against the house again. Connor laughed as his arms squeezed me tighter. The snaps of two more ribs could be heard piercing through the air. Cady screamed another sob, covering her face with her hands.

This was it. My life was over. But I couldn't bring myself to wish I'd done anything different. I didn't regret coming here to safe her. I couldn't regret it. If I had to die to save her, then so be it. What life did I have in me if she were to perish? She _was_ my life. And I loved her. Oh, how I loved her. Even as the pain shot through my chest as Connor tightened his grip, I couldn't forget that this was for the one I loved. I could endure the fiery pits of hell just to see her safe and sound. There was nothing Connor could do to change that.

However, I did have one fear. After he killed me, what would he do then? Cady would be standing right there for him to take, to spill her blood effortlessly. She was only human. She would never be able to fight him off. I couldn't let him get to her. I fought harder against Connor's restraints. My ribs felt like they were piercing through my chest, the splintered bones stabbing my flesh. I snarled and growled in agony as I twisted in his arms.

And then he was off of me.

I dropped to the ground, quivering. There was no time to pause. I jumped to my feet, ignoring the searing pain in my chest, and whirled around. Leah had her teeth around one of Connor's ankles, pulling him away from me. He kicked at her, causing her to pull back, releasing him. But not before I was beside him. I reached down with one claw and sliced through the bicep of one of his arms. The limb separated easily. Connor writhed, cursing loudly just as I snarled in pain as well. The fur on my chest was matted with blood. Leah pushed me with her shoulder.

_I can take him_, she thought angrily. _Take care of yourself before you bleed to death. _She bounded towards the writhing leech and sank her teeth into various parts of his body, tearing apart whatever she could reach. It wasn't long before Connor's body was beheaded and dismembered.

I tried to return to Cady but each step I took killed me. Each breath caused my chest to expand, emphasizing the unbearable ache. It didn't help that my breathing was quick, heavy with exhaustion. I couldn't help but to drop to the earth. I hadn't even taken five steps towards the house. Cady was standing over me in seconds, pushing me over so that I was lying on my back, gazing up at the cloudy sky. My blood drenched fur rippled in the wind.

"Jacob," she cried, her beautiful eyes dripping wet. Her sensual lips trembled. "Jacob, stay with me." Why would she say that? Of course I would stay with her. Like I would ever leave. My eyes blinked, each time they opened, the sky seemed to get darker and darker.

"Hey!" she said louder, in a stronger voice. "Listen to me! Don't close your eyes. Stay right here, Jacob. Stay with me." Her voice was frantic. I could feel her wet tears dripping on my furry face. I blinked again, the sky fading once more. The pain in my chest throbbed and ached and yet…it was diminishing. Where was all pain going? I still found it hard to breathe, as if someone had placed a dozen cinder blocks on top of me. The pressure made it difficult. And yet…breathing seemed to be coming less often. Cady's angelic voice was fading away. I clung to it, whimpering softly. It was barely audible. I blinked again.

And the sky went black.

I didn't think I was dead…yet. I was too uncomfortable. Someone was shaking me awake. Their hands were icy cold. Get away from me, I thought angrily. I wanted to push them away but my arms were like lead. The icy hands pushed me again, causing my entire body to shake. I opened my eyes, snarling slightly. Everything was out of focus but various faces were surrounding me, each a different shade than the next. The icy hands nudged my cheek gently.

"Jake," Bella said loudly, her voice full of worry. "Jacob, you know you have to phase back." She poked my cheek again and I grumbled, remembering searing pain in my chest. My muscles ached, my ribs throbbed. I couldn't believe I was still living. "Carlisle says you have to phase back in order to heal properly. He says if you don't, he'll have to re-break the bones."

"Please, Jacob," Cady moaned from somewhere to my right. It took all my might to turn my head and look at her. Tears escaped her beautiful eyes. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay but when I tried, I could only rumble in wolf lingo. I tried to lift my arm to touch her but found someone was holding me down.

"Phase back," Bella ordered. Someone had laid a blanket over me from my waist down. My breathing quickened as I prepared myself for what I knew I had to do. I'd done this before and it would be painful. Worse than the pain I was already experiencing. I took a deep breath and let myself relax. Before the real shape shifting even started I was yowling and snarling in pain. I fought against the hold our small crowd had on me. I couldn't tell who was holding me down but I didn't care.

The pain shot from the point of my head to the tips of my toes. I screamed and writhed as my ribs rearranged themselves. It was gruesome, listening to my wolf snarls slowly shift into my human howls. My husky voice returned and I was near sobbing point but my chest wouldn't let me. Sobbing entitled lots of breathing and my ribs simply wouldn't allow that. Back in my human form, my body shuttered. A few people applauded, and I assumed that they were members of the pack mocking me but when I looked up; I saw Billy and Sue as well as Quil's grandfather. Several other members of the council stood around me too. It was then that I realized that I was no longer lying in the grass but in Sam's living room. Carlisle stood over me, examining my wounds.

"These breaks should heal within a couple of hours but you've lost a lot of blood," he said softly. I wasn't listening. I found Cady's hand and squeezed it tight, well, as tight as my weak muscles would let me.

"You kept your promise," she breathed.

"Don't I always?" I choked. My throat was scratchy, my voice hoarse. Cady laughed hesitantly, as if she were afraid that I would drop dead any minute. I smiled, pulling her hand to my lips to kiss it softly. Then came the water works. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Realizing this was a private moment, anyone occupying the room disappeared. We were alone. I reached out to hold her to me. Even as I held her close, her body shuttered with each and every sob. It was hard to hold back my own tears. I took a few deep breathes to calm myself.

"Cady," I croaked, my voice breaking. She shook her head, pressing her face against my bare chest.

"I. Was. S-so. Scared," she said, struggling to pronounce each word clearly. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as I squeezed her tight. "I thought you were dead!"

"Me too," I admitted, as my eyes overflowed and a few drops of liquid trickled down my face. "Cady, did he hurt you?"

"No," she nearly yelled, shocked. She almost sounded mad. She lifted her face to stare at me incredulously. "He didn't touch me. Jacob, do you realize how close you were to dying? You had a punctured lung. You—" She broke off, shaking her head as she started to sob again.

"Cady, please, relax," I pleaded. I hated to see her like this. She shook her head again, kissing my bruised chest gently but eagerly. Her fingers traced the contours of my ribs. Her touch was so soft, you'd hardly know she was touching me. Before I knew it, her lips were on mine. I responded with eagerness, with passion. After all, I _had_ just been on my death bed. I lie there perfectly still as she traced her fingers along my face, my lips, my eyelids. She seemed to be taking anything she may have overlooked before this day as if afraid she might never see it again. I smiled up at her enthusiastically.

There was a soft knock on the door. Carlisle appeared a second later.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," he said but made no attempt to leave the room. Doctors…He moved to my side and began to examine my chest once more. Cady shook her head gently before getting to her feet. She kissed me once more before walking out the door.

"Bella is happy for you," Carlisle said as he poked and prodded between to splintered ribs.

"Hmm." What else was I supposed to say?

"She's been worried about you, you know. Cady seems nice." I flinched as he put pressure on another rib. He leaned closer to the injury, examining it closely. "That sister of yours, Leah is her name? She's got herself a fan club out there. She's pretty excited to have taken Connor. Of course, she won't take all the credit. You helped, too."

"Hardly," I remarked, closing my eyes and trying to ignore the aching in my chest. The doctor straightened back up, gazing at me.

"I'm going to give you some morphine, let you sleep it off. Okay? I don't want you moving too much. You're lucky," he said, digging into a black leather bag for a needle. He didn't look up as he continued to speak. "You nearly gave Cady a heart attack. She wouldn't even walk with us back here. Edward had to carry her the entire way. She was pretty out of it, Jacob. I don't know what she would have done if you didn't pull through." He shook his head, lifting a syringe out of his bag.

"Guess it's a good thing I didn't kick the bucket, then, eh, Doc?" I said with a slight laugh. I regretted the motion immediately. Carlisle smiled as he inserted the needle into my skin. All too soon, the pain was fading. I sighed with relief.

"Sleep. I'll leave you alone."

And just like that, I was alone. I let myself drift into unconsciousness. When I would wake, I didn't care, as long as I had my Cady with me always. I was faintly aware of her sitting down beside me once more before all went black. A tiny smile spread across my lips and I was gone. Thank God for modern day medicine.

The bright light of morning was what woke me. Someone had moved me again so I was now lying in the guest bedroom. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes before opening them. To my surprise, someone was sitting at the foot of the bed, gazing out the window. Blinking into focus, I noticed it was Edward.

He sat motionless on the corner of the bed, twiddling his thumbs. I cleared my throat loudly, sitting up. After hearing my loud grunts, Edward turned to look at me. My chest was still a bit soar but it was bearable. The bones no longer ached, just the muscles. Still, I kept my breathing steady just in case.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just for the night," his velvety voice replied. I stifled a yawn.

"Where is Cady?"

"She was exhausted. Emmett and Alice took her home. She wanted to stay but, I'm assuming, her grandfather would start to worry if she was out all hours of the night. But, I'm fairly certain she will be calling anytime now. Your girlfriend is very stubborn, you know," Edward said, furrowing his brows. I couldn't help but to chuckle as I through my legs over the edge of the bed. Someone had dressed me in Sam's sweat pants. When I stood, I stretched. He stood as well.

"Why are you in here, anyway?" I didn't mean to sound rude.

"I was waiting for you to wake up."

"Because…"

"Because I wanted to tell you something," he remarked, shrugging his shoulders. When I didn't reply, he continued. "I just wanted to say that…that I kind of enjoyed fighting by your side again. It wasn't that bad, I mean."

"Oh," was all I said for a minute. "Well, I didn't mind it too much, either." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "We wouldn't have survived had you and your family not shown up."

"You'd have put a dent in them, though," he chortled, his topaz eyes sparkling. As if embarrassed, he turned and walked to the window, gazing out it once more.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"Uhh…"

I waited. The room was stifling hot. I wanted to make my exit but, for some reason, I stayed with him, wondering what was on his mind. Of course, he already knew what was on mine. I wasn't impatient.

"You are a really good guy, Jacob—you may be arrogant, or overconfident—but you're a good guy. And…I, uh…"

"You're a good friend, Leech," I said as he trailed off, clapping a giant, too hot hand on his icy, stone shoulder. He nodded. "You may stink a little but you're a good friend." We shared an awkward laugh before stepping away from each other.

"Where is Bella?" I asked after a minute of silence.

"She's visiting Charlie."

"But I thought…"

"Well, he doesn't _know_ she's visiting him. She's just taking a look."

We left the room and walked out into the living room. Sam, Leah, Seth, Carlisle, and Esme sat around the room, all in light conversation. Emily entered with a tray full of muffins. She almost offered them to the doctor and his wife but stopped, smiling to herself and dropping the tray on the table between Seth and Leah.

"Feeling better?" Carlisle asked, a pleasant look on his face. He stood and came over to look over my chest and ribs.

"Yeah," I replied, eager to devour the entire tray of muffins Emily had brought in. Edward laughed silently behind me at where my thoughts had led. After finding nothing but fading bruises, Carlisle straightened back up.

"Everything looks fine to me. We'd better get going, then. Jasper and Rosalie left yesterday afternoon and Emmett and Alice left last night after dropping Cady off. So, we're the only ones left besides Edward and Bella. Seeing you are practically healed, my services will no longer be necessary."

"Thanks, Doc," I replied, reaching out to shake his frozen hand.

"Take you time, Edward. We'll be up in Vancouver when you decide to leave. Don't rush." The doctor smiled pleasantly before turning to his wife. Her tentative smile was motherly. She didn't reach out to shake my hand but nodded her head slightly. Sam thanked Carlisle once more before the two vampires were out the door. Emily sighed, shifting her gaze towards Edward.

"Can I offer you anything?" she asked awkwardly. He tightened his lips, shaking his head politely.

"No thanks. I just ate," he replied jokingly. I strode over to the tray of muffins, tossed one to Sam and another to Leah, and carried the tray to the couch. Seth had already devoured two. I then proceeded to inhale six muffins in less than five minutes. They stared at me.

"What? I'm hungry," I said, my voice thick with the mouthful of food. Leah rolled her eyes. She was laughing. That was different. I tried to smile but my bulging cheeks wouldn't let me. It was hard to swallow it down but I did it.

"Leah, I wanted to thank you. If it weren't for you, I'd be a goner." She rolled her eyes again.

"Duh." Her eyes were bright. The excitement of her victory still hadn't faded away. She smiled again. Sam nodded at her once, his face etched with contentment. He was proud of her. That was a good thing. I shoved another muffin into my mouth as Edward lowered himself down beside me, letting out a long sigh.

The phone rang. Emily tossed it to me.

"We all know who it is anyway," she said with a laugh. "Cady has been calling for hours." Without hesitation, I put the phone to my ear.

It _was_ Cady. The calmness that swept through me at the sound of her voice was amazing. It was as there had never been any trouble in the first place. I would never put her in danger again. She would be safe. And that made me happy.

**Only one more chapter left!! I can't believe I'm almost done. Thank you to everyone who sent me reviews. I am very grateful. ThankyouThankyouThankyou a thousand times.**

**Oh, and I couldn't bare the thought of killing anyone we loved so…haha. A little suspense was fun but I couldn't possibly kill anyone. Thanks again. I hope you enjoy the next chapter, too (Epilogue) -Taylor**


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